I just wanted to chime in as someone who's worked with temp agencies for the past few years - you absolutely should file for unemployment! I was in a very similar situation where my 4-month assignment ended and the agency said they'd "look for something else" but couldn't give me a timeline. I waited about a week before filing and wish I had done it immediately. The application process was straightforward, and I was approved without any issues. One thing that really helped me was calling the temp agency and asking them to email me confirmation that my assignment had ended and they didn't have immediate placement available - having that in writing made me feel more confident about my claim. Washington ESD has been pretty good about processing temp worker claims in my experience. The main thing is just being honest about your situation and not letting anyone make you feel like temp work somehow "doesn't count" - it absolutely does!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago with a temp agency placement that lasted 5 months. The agency kept giving me the runaround about "maybe next week" for new assignments, so I finally just filed for unemployment benefits. Best decision I made! Got approved within about 2 weeks and have been collecting ever since while looking for permanent work. The key things that helped me were: 1) Filing immediately after my assignment ended rather than waiting around, 2) Being very clear on the application that my "assignment was completed" rather than saying I quit or was fired, and 3) Keeping all my paperwork from the temp agency just in case. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty about filing - you worked, you paid taxes, and you're entitled to these benefits just like anyone else whose job ended. The temporary nature of the work doesn't disqualify you at all in Washington state.

Final thought - bookmark the Washington ESD website and your SecureAccess Washington login page. You'll be checking them frequently over the coming weeks and it saves time to have quick access.

Another important thing to keep in mind - if you moved or changed jobs recently, double-check that Washington ESD has all your correct wage information from the past 18 months. Sometimes wages from other states or recent employers don't show up automatically in their system, which can affect your benefit calculation. You can request a wage review if something looks missing from your base period. Better to catch this early than have it delay your payments later!

Hope this thread helps other employers too. The Washington unemployment tax system definitely has a learning curve but it gets easier once you understand the process.

I just went through this same nightmare last month! The key thing that finally worked for me was calling the Department of Revenue directly at 360-705-6741 instead of the ESD number. They were able to walk me through the My DOR registration process and link my unemployment tax account on the same call. Took about 45 minutes total but saved me days of frustration with the online system. Once you're set up, the quarterly payments are actually pretty straightforward - just make sure you're logged into My DOR, not the ESD portal. Also, if you're really pressed for time, you can pay by phone with a debit card through their automated system at 360-705-6742. There's no fee for debit cards, only credit cards.

Must be nice. Still waiting here after 3+ months with ZERO movement despite uploading MULTIPLE hardship statements. System still completely broken for most of us.

Congratulations Javier! Your success story gives me hope as someone who's currently at week 5 of adjudication. I'm definitely going to upload a hardship statement today after reading about your experience. For others still waiting - it sounds like the weekend processing is real but limited, so don't give up hope. The fact that they're prioritizing 8+ week claims and hardship cases means there is some method to the madness, even if it doesn't feel like it when you're stuck waiting. Thanks for sharing your outcome and keeping the rest of us informed!

One last tip - if you do run into issues with Washington ESD and need to talk to someone, I had success with that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Really helped me get through when I was having problems with my claim status.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! As someone who's been doing seasonal work for years without knowing about UI benefits, this thread has been eye-opening. I work at a summer camp from May through August and always struggled financially during the off months. Going to file a claim this fall and finally get the support I've been paying into. It's amazing how many seasonal workers are probably missing out on benefits they're entitled to just because they don't know it's an option.