Can you re apply for unemployment after your Washington ESD claim ends?

Thanks! Do you know what the earnings requirement is? I only worked part-time for those 6 months so I'm not sure if I made enough.

You need to have earned at least $1,000 in your base period and your total base period wages must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter. The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.

Did you have any issues with the application? I'm worried they might ask why I didn't work more hours at my part-time job.

Nah, they don't really care about that. They just want to know if you're unemployed through no fault of your own and available for work. As long as your part-time job ended for legitimate reasons you should be fine.

Interesting, I've never heard of that. How much does it cost?

I don't want to get into pricing details here, but it was worth it for me to actually talk to someone instead of calling hundreds of times. The video explains everything better than I can.

I'm always skeptical of these third-party services. Are they legitimate?

I agree it's confusing, but the general rule is: if you worked since your last claim ended, file new. If you didn't work at all, you might be able to reopen (though that's rare).

ok that makes sense I guess. Still seems like they could explain it better on their website.

Good point! I should probably gather all that stuff before I start the application.

It wasn't seasonal, just a regular part-time position that ended when they had budget cuts. Should be straightforward then.

Yeah that sounds like a typical layoff situation. You should be fine to file a new claim.

Yes, the job search requirement is still 3 job contacts per week unless you're on standby with a specific return date.

Ugh, I hate keeping track of all those applications. But I guess that's part of the deal.

Yeah I was planning to do it online. Hopefully it goes smoothly.

Good question! Yes, you typically have to serve a new waiting week for each new claim year. So your first week won't be payable.

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for clarifying.

That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier. I was in the same situation - couldn't get through no matter how many times I called. That service actually got me connected to a real person who could help with my claim status.

I might have to look into that. This is ridiculous.

Good reminder! I remember having to do that with my first claim too.

That's encouraging! Did you have to do any phone interviews or anything?

Nope, everything went through automatically. I think because my separation was clearly a layoff and I had plenty of earnings in my base period.

How would I know if they reported it wrong?

Washington ESD will contact you if there's any question about your separation. They'll usually send a fact-finding questionnaire if something doesn't match up.

Good point. Since I was only working part-time for 6 months, my benefit amount will probably be lower than before.

Yeah I learned that lesson the hard way with my first claim. I waited a week thinking I might find something quickly and lost out on that week's benefits.

Seems like a lot of people have had good experiences with that service. I'll keep it in mind if I run into any issues.

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I feel much more confident about filing now.

Absolutely! I'm going to file tomorrow morning and hopefully everything goes smoothly.