Can you apply for unemployment as a student in Washington state?

That's such a relief to hear! I was worried they'd automatically deny me. Do I need to provide my class schedule or anything like that when I apply?

You don't need to submit your schedule upfront, but Washington ESD might ask about your availability during the adjudication process. Just be honest about when you can work - if you worked evenings and weekends before, show you're still available for those same hours.

Six weeks?? That seems like forever. Did they eventually approve your claim or did you have issues?

They approved it but wow was it stressful waiting. I ended up using Claimyr to actually get through to someone at Washington ESD to check on my claim status. Found them at claimyr.com and they have this demo video that shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Never heard of Claimyr before but that sounds useful. I've been trying to call Washington ESD for two weeks about my claim and can never get through to a real person.

Oh wow I hadn't thought about that. I do get Pell grants. Should I talk to my school's financial aid office?

Definitely worth a conversation with them. Every school handles it differently and they'll know your specific situation best.

There's a lot of confusion about this. Students CAN get benefits if they meet the same requirements as everyone else - mainly that they're able and available for work. Your friend might have been denied for other reasons like not having enough work history or wages in their base period.

Hmm maybe that was it. She was only working like 10 hours a week for a few months before she got laid off.

Yeah that sounds like a wage issue, not a student issue. You need to have earned at least $1,000 in your base period and meet Washington ESD's other wage requirements regardless of student status.

You should definitely apply! Even if there are some extra questions because we're students, we still paid into the system through our paychecks just like everyone else.

True, seeing those ESD deductions on every paycheck and never thinking I'd need to use it. Going to start my application tonight.

That's a great point! My school has a career center that does resume workshops and networking events. Those would count toward my job search activities?

Absolutely! WorkSourceWA accepts a wide range of activities. Career fairs, resume building, even LinkedIn profile updates count. Just make sure to log everything properly.

Wait, LinkedIn counts? I had no idea. I've been spending so much time applying to jobs online thinking that was the only thing that counted.

Good catch! I do have a small work study job in the library. Even though it's only like $200 a month I need to report it?

Yes, report everything. Even small amounts. It's better to be over-cautious than to deal with an overpayment notice later.

That's so frustrating! Three months is ridiculous. Did you ever figure out what was causing the delay?

some BS about needing to verify my identity even though I'd already sent in all the documents they asked for. then they wanted more documents. just endless bureaucracy

That's encouraging! I'm hoping my case will be straightforward since I have clear employment records from my retail job.

Retail jobs usually have very clear wage records which helps. Just make sure you have your pay stubs handy in case they need additional verification.

Someone else mentioned Claimyr earlier in this thread! How exactly does it work? Do they just keep calling until someone answers?

Yeah basically they handle all the calling and waiting so you don't have to. When they get someone on the line, they conference you in. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ if you want to see how it works. Super helpful when you actually need to talk to someone at Washington ESD.

That makes sense. I was worried they'd expect me to be available 40 hours a week or something unrealistic while I'm taking classes.

Nope, they base it on your previous work pattern. If you were working 20 hours a week while going to school before, they'll expect you to be available for similar work now.

Don't wait! Apply as soon as you're eligible. Your benefit year is based on when you file, and delaying could cost you money. Plus, if you were working during the school year, that establishes your pattern of availability.

Good point, I'll apply this week then. Thanks for the advice!

Clinical schedules can be tricky because they're often irregular. Just make sure you're clear about your availability when you file your weekly claims. If your clinicals change week to week, that might require some explanation.

Yeah my clinical days vary by rotation. I'll make sure to be really detailed about my availability each week.

You need to register with WorkSourceWA within 4 weeks of filing your initial claim. I'd recommend doing it sooner rather than later since you'll need to use it for logging your job search activities anyway.

Perfect, thanks! I'll get that set up this weekend.

I'm majoring in business so I guess that gives me pretty broad options for what kinds of jobs to apply for. Probably better than being super specialized.

Exactly, business opens a lot of doors. Retail management, office work, customer service - lots of options that would make sense given your background and education.

Good luck! Remember to keep detailed records of everything - your application, weekly claims, job search activities, any correspondence from Washington ESD. It all helps if you need to reference anything later.

Will do! This thread has been incredibly helpful. Glad to know I'm not the only student dealing with this situation.

This is so encouraging to hear! I'm in a similar situation as a graduate student and was really worried about the adjudication process. Five weeks sounds stressful but knowing you got approved and received back pay makes me feel more optimistic. Can I ask what kind of job search activities you focused on during those 5 weeks? I'm wondering if academic-related searches (like postdoc positions or research roles) count the same as regular job applications.

@Lucas Bey Yes, academic job searches absolutely count! I did a mix of traditional job applications part-time (research positions, tutoring jobs and) academic searches postdoc (applications, conference networking, reaching out to professors about potential openings .)WorkSourceWA accepted all of it as long as I documented everything properly. I also attended virtual job fairs, updated my LinkedIn and academic profiles, and did informational interviews with professionals in my field. The key is showing you re'actively looking for work that matches your skills and availability. Academic positions often have longer hiring timelines, so I made sure to balance those with quicker turnaround opportunities too. The adjudication specialist I eventually spoke with was actually quite understanding about the academic job market once I explained my search strategy.

That's really reassuring to hear about your quick processing time! I'm curious about the on-campus job aspect - did Washington ESD treat your campus bookstore position any differently than they would a regular off-campus retail job? I work at an on-campus dining hall and I'm wondering if that might actually help or hurt my case when I apply. Also, when you mentioned networking events counting as job search activities, were those general professional networking events or student-specific ones? I want to make sure I'm maximizing all the resources available through my school.

@f8b97a46d427 Great question about on-campus vs off-campus work! In my experience, Washington ESD treated my campus job exactly the same as any other employer - they just care about whether you were paying into the unemployment insurance system through payroll deductions, which most on-campus jobs do. Your dining hall position should be fine as long as you're getting regular paychecks with ESD deductions. As for networking events, I counted both general professional events (like local business meetups) and student-specific ones (career fairs, alumni networking nights, industry panels hosted by my school). The key is that they have to be related to your job search - so a random social event wouldn't count, but a "Students to Professionals" networking mixer definitely would. I kept detailed notes about who I met and any leads or advice I got, which helped when documenting the activities in WorkSourceWA. Your school probably has tons of these types of events that you can use to meet your job search requirements while actually building useful connections!

You're absolutely right to feel more confident about applying! As someone who was in a very similar situation (part-time job while in school), I can confirm that being a student really shouldn't be a barrier as long as you were genuinely working and available for work. The coffee shop closure actually might work in your favor since it's clearly an involuntary job loss. One thing I'd add to all the great advice in this thread - when you do apply, make sure to emphasize in your application that you successfully balanced work and school before, which demonstrates your ability to manage both. Also, since you mentioned you're a junior, you probably have a decent work history by now which helps with meeting the wage requirements. Don't let any potential delays or extra questions discourage you - even if your claim takes a few weeks to process, you've paid into the system and deserve these benefits. Good luck with your application!

@Natasha Orlova You re'making the right decision to apply! I was in almost the exact same situation last semester - working at a campus-adjacent business that closed down while I was a full-time student. The process was actually much smoother than I expected once I got past the initial anxiety about being a student applicant. One tip that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all my job search activities from week one - it made filling out the WorkSourceWA logs so much easier and showed I was taking the requirements seriously. Also, since you mentioned the coffee shop is closing permanently, make sure you get any documentation from your employer about the closure like (a layoff notice or final pay stub as) that can help speed up the process. The fact that you re'being proactive and researching all this beforehand puts you way ahead of where I was when I started. You ve'got this!

@Natasha Orlova I went through something really similar when my campus bookstore job ended unexpectedly! One thing that helped me was reaching out to my former manager to get a letter confirming the permanent closure - Washington ESD really appreciated having that documentation upfront. Also, since you re'already thinking ahead about using campus career services, I d'suggest introducing yourself to the career counselors now before you even need them for job search activities. They often have insights about part-time opportunities that work well with student schedules, and building that relationship early made my job search much more effective. The fact that you ve'been working consistently while maintaining your studies is actually a huge strength - it shows Washington ESD that you re'serious about balancing both work and school. Don t'be surprised if they ask some follow-up questions about your availability during the application process, but as long as you re'honest about your schedule and show you re'actively looking for work, you should be fine!

This is exactly the kind of detailed, practical advice I was hoping to find! I'm also a UW student (sophomore) and hearing about your successful experience with the adjudication process is really reassuring. The 4-week timeline seems pretty reasonable, especially knowing that back pay is included. I love your point about being proactive with documentation from day one - I'm definitely going to start a tracking system before I even apply. Quick question: when you mentioned being transparent about your class schedule in the initial application, did you provide specific course times or just general availability windows? I'm trying to figure out how detailed to be without overwhelming them with information. Also, did you find that restaurant work experience translated well to other job opportunities during your search, or did you focus mainly on finding similar positions?