Do I need to file retroactive UI claims for skipped weeks between jobs?

You HAVE to file for all those weeks in sequence or the system won't let you claim current weeks. ESD is super strict about this!!!!! I learned this the hard way when I missed 2 weeks and had to spend HOURS on the phone to get it fixed. Even if you worked full-time, you still need to report those earnings for each week.

The previous response isn't entirely accurate. If you weren't eligible for benefits due to excessive earnings during those weeks, you still need to file claims in sequence, but it's primarily to maintain your claim as active. You should make your best estimate of hours worked for those weeks if you don't have exact records. If you earned too much to receive benefits, you'll simply get $0 for those weeks, but your claim remains open. This is called 'continuous claiming' and it's how ESD tracks your eligibility status. Without it, your claim can become inactive.

I went thru this exact same thing back in january!! ya just gotta file for all of em in order. even the ones where u worked a ton. just put your best guess for hours and theyll calculate if u get any $ or not. no big deal if u worked 2 much to get benefits for those weeks. the system just needs all weeks accounted for so it doesn't get confused lol

To add to what others have said, the technical term for what you're experiencing is a "break in claim sequence." The system requires chronological filing because benefits eligibility is calculated weekly. You must file for those missed weeks in sequence before you can claim current weeks. For the weeks you worked 32+ hours, you would report those earnings accurately (estimate if needed), and the system will determine you had "excessive earnings" - you won't receive benefits for those weeks, but your claim remains active. This is different from restarting a claim that has become inactive (which happens after 4+ weeks of not filing). For your situation, just file each missed week one after another with your best earnings estimate.

For weeks where you worked 32+ hours, you still need to file the weekly claim, but you don't need to complete job search activities. When the system asks if you were physically able and available for work, answer YES. When it asks if you worked, answer YES and enter your hours/earnings. When asked if you completed job search activities, you can answer NO and select the reason: "I worked full-time hours this week." The system will process this as an "excessive earnings" week with no job search requirements, and no benefits will be paid, but your claim sequence remains intact.

If ur having trouble getting thru to ESD to sort this out (they NEVER answer!!!), I found this service called Claimyr that got me thru to an actual human in like 15 minutes instead of calling for days. Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 It worked great when I had a weird issue with weeks I missed filing. Their website is claimyr.com - might save you a ton of frustration if you run into any problems while filing those backdated claims.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you don't wait too long to file those missed weeks!!! There's a time limit (I think 4 weeks?) after which you can't claim them at all without special permission. Then your whole claim could get messed up!

I'm confused... if someone wasn't eligible for benefits for certain weeks because they worked too much, why do they still have to claim those weeks? Isn't the whole point of unemployment that you're, well, unemployed? The ESD system is so unnecessarily complicated.

I went back to full time for almost 2 months then got laid off again. Had to file for all those weeks I missed (about 8 weeks total). It was tedious but not a big deal. Just entered my full-time hours for each week, got $0 payments for those weeks since I earned too much, then was able to start getting benefits again after the layoff. The system just wants continuity.