Great advice from everyone here! Just want to emphasize one more important point - if you're switching from unemployment to work, make sure you understand how your final paycheck timing might affect your last claim. If you get paid for your first few days of work during the same week you're filing your final unemployment claim, you need to report those earnings accurately. Washington ESD calculates benefits based on when you actually performed the work, not when you receive the paycheck. Better to be overly cautious with reporting than risk an overpayment situation later.

Just to add another perspective - I went through this exact situation last year when I started a new job. The key thing that helped me was logging into my Washington ESD account one final time after my last claim to make sure everything looked correct. You can see your claim status change from "active" to "inactive" after a few weeks of not filing, which gives you peace of mind that everything processed properly. Also, keep your login credentials saved somewhere safe - you never know if you might need to access your account later for tax documents or if your employment situation changes. The W-2 forms from Washington ESD are important for tax season!

The military specialist line is 800-318-6022, but honestly it's just as hard to get through on that line as the main one. That's why I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with them. Once I got an actual person on the phone and explained my military hardship situation, they were able to flag my case. Just be prepared with all your documentation - they'll want your spouse's orders, your resignation letter, and your case ID number.

I'm going through something similar right now - been waiting 8 weeks for my appeal hearing after ESD denied my claim for quitting due to my husband's military deployment orders. The frustrating part is that the law is so clear about military spouse exceptions, yet they keep making these obvious mistakes. I've been following all the advice here about continuing to file weekly claims and keeping all my documentation organized. Has anyone had success contacting their congressional representative's office? I've heard they sometimes have more pull with federal agencies, and since this involves military families, they might be more responsive than just state reps.

This is a complex situation with both deployment and PCS factors! You're dealing with two separate qualifying events, so let me break this down: For the deployment piece - PFML (Paid Family and Medical Leave) has a "family leave" provision that may apply when your spouse deploys, but it's typically for bonding/care situations rather than childcare logistics. You'd need to check if losing your daycare provider due to deployment qualifies, but it's not guaranteed. For the PCS unemployment - You can absolutely apply for unemployment benefits when you quit due to the PCS move. The fact that you're losing daycare in November and then PCSing shortly after actually strengthens your case for quitting in November rather than waiting until the actual move date. Losing essential childcare due to military circumstances is solid documentation for your "good cause" quit. My recommendation: Focus on the unemployment benefits for the PCS move rather than trying to navigate PFML for the deployment. When you file your UI claim after quitting in November, document: - Your husband's PCS orders to NAS JAX - Your marriage certificate - Documentation that your daycare provider is unavailable during his deployment - Evidence that you need to prepare for the December PCS move with two kids This creates a clear timeline showing you had to quit due to interconnected military circumstances. Keep filing weekly claims even if it goes to adjudication, and be detailed about your specific situation when you apply.

I'd definitely mention both the deployment and PCS in your unemployment claim - they're not separate issues, they're part of one continuous military situation affecting your family. When you file, explain it as a timeline: husband deploying → losing daycare during deployment → husband returning for PCS move → family relocating to Florida. This shows ESD that you didn't just randomly quit in November, but had a series of military-related circumstances that made continued employment impossible. In the additional information section of your claim, I'd write something like: "My spouse is active duty Navy with orders for PCS from NAS Whidbey to NAS JAX in December 2024. He deployed prior to PCS, causing loss of our childcare provider in November. With two children and no childcare during deployment, plus needing to prepare for December relocation, continued employment became impossible." This paints the full picture of why November was when you HAD to quit, not just when you chose to quit. The more context you provide about the military circumstances, the stronger your case becomes. Don't worry about it being "too much information" - ESD deals with military families regularly and understands these complex situations.

Just wanted to add another perspective - I'm an accountant who works with small businesses in Washington state. The answers here are correct: single-member LLCs don't need to pay unemployment taxes on themselves unless they elect coverage (which is rare). However, I always recommend keeping good records of your business structure and any elections you make, because if you ever do hire employees, Washington ESD will want to verify your prior status. Also remember that this only applies to unemployment insurance - you'll still need to handle other business registrations like your business license and potentially B&O tax depending on your revenue.

As someone who just went through this same process last month, I can confirm what everyone's saying - you don't need to pay unemployment taxes on yourself as a single-member LLC owner in Washington. I was also confused by all the conflicting info online, but after calling Washington ESD directly (took forever to get through), they confirmed that I'm considered self-employed and not subject to UI taxes. The key thing to remember is that this changes immediately if you hire anyone, even part-time help. I'm bookmarking this thread because the advice about the 30-day registration requirement after hiring will be useful when I'm ready to expand!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last month, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - each interview absolutely counts as a separate activity! I had 4 rounds with Microsoft (phone screen, technical interview, team interview, and final interview with the hiring manager) and counted all 4 separately on my weekly claims. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track everything. I included columns for date, company, position, contact person, type of activity, and outcome. This made it super easy to fill out my weekly job search log and gave me solid documentation in case ESD ever questioned anything. Also, don't forget that if you do any prep work that involves contacting the company (like calling to confirm interview details or asking questions about the role), those phone calls can sometimes count as additional job search contacts too. Just make sure you're documenting who you spoke with and when. Sounds like you're doing everything right though - good luck with the rest of your interview process with TechBridge Corp!

Hey Louisa! I went through something similar a few months ago and can confirm what everyone's saying - each interview definitely counts as a separate activity. I had a 3-round interview process with a local marketing firm and counted each one separately without any issues. One tip I'd add is to make sure you're noting the TYPE of interview in your documentation (phone screening, video interview, in-person, etc.) since ESD sometimes asks for that level of detail. Also, if they gave you any specific instructions or materials to review between interviews, documenting that preparation work can sometimes count as additional job search activity too. Sounds like you're being really thorough with your record-keeping which is awesome! Hope the rest of your interviews with TechBridge Corp go well - multiple rounds usually means they're seriously considering you. Good luck!