ESD claim question after brief Oregon job - can I restart my WA unemployment?

u need to call ESD directly and ask them. I tryed to do something like this last year and they made me file a whole new claim and it was a mess. but rules change alot so maybe its different now???

You might be able to reopen your previous claim if your benefit year hasn't ended yet. A benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when you first filed, but you only receive benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks during that period. Log into your eServices account and look for an option to reopen an existing claim. If your benefit year expired, you'll need to file a new claim. Also, working in another state creates a potential combined wage claim situation. Since you worked in Oregon, they might need to transfer your wage credits. Make sure you report your Oregon employment accurately when you reopen/file.

I went through something similar except it was Idaho not Oregon. When I came back to WA I had to REOPEN my claim not file a new one. But I couldn't do it online for some reason, had to call. Took me 4 days of calling nonstop to get through!! So frustrating!!! They backdated my claim to when I moved back and I had to do like 3 weeks of claims all at once.

This is actually a common situation. Here's what you need to know: 1. If your benefit year hasn't expired, you can reopen your claim (not file a new one) 2. You must report your Oregon wages and employment 3. You'll need to satisfy a new waiting week after reopening 4. Any remaining benefits from your original claim will be available to you 5. The job search requirements still apply (3 activities per week) If you worked LESS than 680 hours in Oregon, you wouldn't qualify for a new claim there. Washington looks at your base year (first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before filing), so your Oregon work may actually help your WA claim if you need to file a new one later. Log into eServices and look for the "Reopen Claim" option. If you get an error, you'll need to call.

the esd website is SO BUGGY! i tried reopening my claim last month and it kept giving me errors. ended up having to call like 47 times before i got thru. when i finally talked to someone they said i couldve done it online and i was like I TRIED!!!!! anyway good luck lol

UPDATE: I tried reopening online last night and got an error message saying I need to call. Spent 2 hours trying this morning with no luck getting through. I'll keep trying, but wow this is frustrating!

Just to be clear - once you work in another state, your claim becomes more complex. You might actually benefit from filing a Combined Wage Claim which would include both your WA and OR wages, potentially giving you a higher weekly benefit amount. But this requires speaking with an agent who can properly advise based on your specific wages and work history. Also, depending on exactly when you originally filed and when you worked in Oregon, there could be issues with your "able and available" status for the weeks you were in Oregon. If you indicated you weren't available for work in WA during your family emergency, that could affect your ability to simply reopen. Regardless, you'll need to speak with an agent to sort this out properly.

when i waited 2 try again after working i had 2 do a whole new claim and they denied me cuz i didnt work enough hours at the new job but then i apealed and they let me have whats left on my old claim. the whole thing took like 6 weeks tho so start applying 4 jobs right away!!!

FINAL UPDATE: Finally got through to ESD! For anyone in a similar situation - they had me reopen my existing claim since my benefit year wasn't over. I had to provide details about my Oregon job and why I moved there and back. The agent said I still had 18 weeks of benefits remaining on my original claim. I need to serve a new waiting week, and then I can start claiming again! Thanks everyone for your help and advice!