Can I apply for unemployment if I was self employed in Washington?

Yes, you can potentially qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington even if you were recently self-employed. What matters is your work history and earnings from W-2 employment during your base period, which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. Your self-employment income generally doesn't count toward your UI benefit calculation, but it also doesn't disqualify you if you have sufficient W-2 wages in your base period.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year. Had my own small marketing business, couldn't make it work anymore. Washington ESD approved my claim based on my previous job at a tech company. Just make sure you report that your business is officially closed when you file.

You should definitely apply, but be prepared for potential delays. Washington ESD sometimes puts self-employment cases into adjudication to verify you're not still earning income from your business. I waited almost 6 weeks for my claim to get approved because they had to investigate my business closure.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr that actually gets you connected to a real person at the unemployment office. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.

The key thing is being completely honest about your self-employment status. Don't try to hide it or they'll find out anyway and could deny your claim for fraud. As long as you're not actively earning income from the business anymore, you should be fine.

Wait, I thought self-employed people couldn't get unemployment at all? This is news to me. I've been putting off applying because I assumed I wouldn't qualify.

One thing to watch out for - make sure you're truly available for work and not still trying to restart your business. Washington ESD requires you to be able and available for employment, which means you can't be focused on getting your business back up and running.

I tried to apply after my photography business failed and got denied because I didn't have enough wages in my base period. All my previous work was too old. Make sure you check your wage history before getting your hopes up.

The whole system is so confusing. I've been self-employed for 5 years and never thought I could get unemployment. Now I'm wondering if I should have applied when my business struggled during the pandemic.

Just file the claim and let Washington ESD sort it out. Worst case they say no, but you won't know until you try. The application process isn't that complicated.

I had a friend who used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. She said it was way easier than trying to get through on the phone normally. Might be worth it if you need to talk to someone about your specific situation.

Make sure you have all your business records organized before you apply. They might ask for proof that you're no longer operating, like cancelled business licenses or final tax filings.

The timing of when you file matters too. You can't file for unemployment benefits for any week you earned income from self-employment, even if it was just a small amount. Make sure your business is completely shut down before you file.

I went through this whole process last year and the biggest thing that helped was having someone at Washington ESD explain exactly what they needed from me. That Claimyr thing actually worked - I got connected to an agent who walked me through everything over the phone.

Don't forget about the job search requirements once you start collecting benefits. You'll need to actively look for work and document your job search activities.

Good luck with your application! It sounds like you have a decent chance of qualifying based on your previous W-2 work. Just be patient with the process and keep all your documentation organized.