Can you collect unemployment if you worked less than 90 days at Washington ESD job?

The 90-day thing isn't a Washington ESD rule for unemployment eligibility. What matters is your total earnings in your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters. If you worked steadily for 2+ years before this recent job, you should definitely be eligible based on that work history.

I had a similar situation last year where I worked only 2 months at a place before getting laid off. Still got approved for unemployment because of my previous job history. The key is having enough wages in your base period quarters.

You know what helped me when I had questions about my work history? I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to a Washington ESD agent on the phone. They were able to pull up my account and explain exactly which quarters counted toward my base period. There's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way easier than trying to figure it out myself or waiting on hold forever.

Just want to clarify something - the reason there's no 90-day minimum is because Washington ESD unemployment isn't based on how long you worked at your most recent job. It's based on your total wages earned during your base period, which covers up to 15 months of work history. You need at least $1,088 in your highest quarter and total wages of at least $2,175 in your base period.

wait so if i only worked 3 weeks at my last job i can still get unemployment?? i thought you had to work somewhere for like 6 months minimum

I'm dealing with something similar but my situation is more complicated. I worked 6 months at one place, then 2 months somewhere else, then got fired after 3 weeks at my last job. Been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my base period but can never get through. So frustrating!

Does anyone know if there are any other requirements besides the wage amounts? Like do you have to be available for work or actively searching?

The Washington ESD website has a monetary determination calculator that can help you figure out if you qualify based on your wages. Might be worth checking before you file your claim.

just to add my experience - i worked only 6 weeks at my last job before getting laid off and had no problems getting unemployment. like everyone said its about your total work history not just the recent job

One thing to keep in mind is that even though you qualify for unemployment, your weekly benefit amount will be based on your wages during the base period. So if your recent short job paid more than your previous job, that higher wage won't count toward your benefit calculation since it falls outside the base period.

I'm curious about the timing aspect. When should you file for unemployment if you worked less than 90 days? Is there a waiting period?

THE UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM IS SO CONFUSING! Why can't they just make it simple - if you lose your job through no fault of your own, you should get benefits. All these base period calculations and quarter requirements just make everything harder for people who are already stressed about losing their job.

For what it's worth, Washington's unemployment system is actually pretty generous compared to some other states. The fact that they look at 15 months of work history instead of just your recent job helps a lot of people qualify.

Quick question - does the type of work matter? Like if your previous job was full-time and your recent short job was part-time, does that affect anything?

I've been following this thread and it's been really helpful. I'm in a similar boat - worked 8 weeks at my last job before they eliminated my position. Sounds like I should be fine to apply for unemployment based on my previous work history. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

One last tip - make sure you have all your employment information ready when you file. Washington ESD will ask for details about all your employers from the past 18 months, including dates of employment and reasons for leaving. Having that info organized ahead of time makes the application process much smoother.