Just wanted to add that Washington state is generally pretty worker-friendly when it comes to unemployment claims. Even if your employer contests it, don't get discouraged - ESD will do a fair investigation. I've seen plenty of people approved even after being fired for performance issues. The key is being honest and cooperative throughout the process. Also, if you do get denied initially, you have the right to appeal within 30 days. Don't give up if the first decision doesn't go your way!

I went through something very similar about 8 months ago. Got fired for "not meeting expectations" after working at a company for 3 years. I was really worried about applying for unemployment but decided to do it anyway. Washington ESD approved my claim after about 4 weeks of investigation. The adjudicator told me that performance issues don't usually count as misconduct unless there's clear evidence of willful disregard for job duties. My advice: file immediately, be completely honest in your application, and don't let your former employer discourage you from applying. You paid into the unemployment system through your paychecks - you have every right to use it when you need it. Also, start your job search activities right away and keep detailed records. Good luck!

Final update from my experience: yes it's possible, yes it's complicated, but don't let that stop you from pursuing benefits you're legally entitled to. Just be prepared for extra scrutiny during the application process and keep detailed records of everything.

I'm actually going through a similar situation right now, though I'm on SSDI for a different condition. One thing I learned from my caseworker is that Washington ESD will likely ask for a detailed explanation of your work capacity during the adjudication process. They might even request documentation from your doctor about what types of work you can perform and for how many hours. The key is being able to demonstrate that while you have limitations, you're still capable of and actively seeking suitable employment within those limitations. My advice would be to gather any documentation about your previous work accommodations and be prepared to explain exactly what type of part-time work you can realistically do. It sounds like you have a good case since you were already working before the layoff.

Just wanted to add another data point to this thread - I'm currently in week 4 of the exact same situation! WBA has been displayed since day one, but every weekly claim shows $0 pending. What's been particularly frustrating for me is that I worked for a very large, well-known company that definitely has their systems set up to respond to unemployment claims quickly, so I doubt it's an employer verification issue on my end. I think there might be some kind of systematic backlog or processing bottleneck at ESD right now. I've been keeping meticulous records of everything (screenshots of my claims, job search activities, all correspondence) just in case. Planning to try Claimyr this week after seeing so many success stories here. It's honestly such a relief to find this thread and realize this isn't just happening to me - though obviously frustrating that so many of us are dealing with this! Will update if I make any progress getting through to an actual human at ESD.

I'm in week 6 of this exact nightmare and finally got some answers! After reading all the success stories about Claimyr here, I bit the bullet and paid for their service last Monday. Got through to an ESD agent in about 45 minutes (compared to literally hundreds of failed attempts calling directly). Turns out my claim was stuck because of an automated flag in their system that marked my separation reason as "needs review" even though I was clearly laid off due to company downsizing. The agent said this is happening to TONS of people right now because their system is flagging anything that isn't a super straightforward termination. She cleared the flag immediately and said I should see payments within 3-5 business days for all my back weeks. Sure enough, got my first payment yesterday! My advice: if you've been waiting more than 4 weeks, just use Claimyr. Yes it costs money, but 45 minutes vs. months of uncertainty was absolutely worth it. The agent also mentioned they're working on system improvements but didn't give any timeline for when these automatic delays might be resolved.

did u check ur eServices account messages? sometimes ESD asks for additional info but they dont actually email u about it. i missed an important request buried in my eServices messages and it delayed my claim for weeks!

I went through something similar in 2023 and want to share what helped me win my appeal. Beyond the documents others mentioned, try to get a reference letter from someone at your old job (coworker, supervisor if possible) confirming you left for another position. Also, if you have any text messages or emails with friends/family from when you got the new job offer mentioning the salary increase or excitement about the opportunity, those can help establish the timeline and your good faith in taking the position. The hearing officer wants to see that you genuinely believed the new job was a substantial improvement, not just that you were trying to quit. Also remember to emphasize the $7,800 salary increase - that's significant and clearly shows good cause. You've got this!

Quick tip - if you're calculating your base period wages, make sure to include ALL employers you worked for during that time, even if it was just a few weeks. Every dollar counts toward meeting those minimum requirements Washington ESD has.

Bottom line from everything I've read here - it's about total wages earned over time, not how long you stayed at any one job. As long as you've been working and earning decent money over the past year or so, you probably qualify. The 8 months at your current job plus previous work should put you in good shape OP.