ESD denied my claim for insufficient hours - will my extra 50 hours from permanently closed employer qualify?

they denied me for being 6 hrs short last year and wouldn't budge AT ALL. esd doesn't care if ur 1 hr or 100 hrs short - u either qualify or u don't. its BS but thats how they operate

Seriously?? That's so frustrating. Did you try appealing or was it just a flat no?

You need to file a new claim. When a business closes permanently, it's considered a qualifying separation event. Your previous denial was for a temporary closure, which is different. \n\nRegarding hours: You need 680 hours in your base year to qualify. Your base year is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. If you file in January-March 2025, your base year would be October 2023 through September 2024.\n\nThose 50 hours would only count if they fall within the base year of your new claim. And unfortunately, ESD doesn't have flexibility on the hours requirement - it's a hard cutoff established in state law.

My cousin works at worksource and she said sometimes they can use an \

I had almost this EXACT situation happen to me last year!!! Filed when my restaurant temporarily closed, got denied for hours, went back for like 2 weeks, then permanently closed. It was a NIGHTMARE getting through to ESD to sort it out. I called 47 times in one day and kept getting disconnected or hitting full call volume messages. Super frustrating!!!

Ugh, that sounds awful! Were you eventually able to get through? Did you end up qualifying after adding those extra hours?

I finally got through after using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have this service where they basically wait on hold for you then call when an ESD agent is available. There's a video that explains it: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3\n\nTotally worth it because I found out I was eligible for the alternate base year which I had no idea about before talking to someone directly. It made the difference between getting benefits and not for me.

Thanks for the tip! I'm going to try calling directly tomorrow but if I can't get through I'll definitely check out that service. Did you end up qualifying with the alternate base year?

Here's what you need to know about your situation:\n\n1. When you file a new claim, ESD will look at your base year (as someone mentioned, first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters)\n\n2. The 680 hours requirement is absolute - there's no flexibility if you're under\n\n3. However, if you don't qualify using the standard base year, ESD should automatically check if you qualify using the alternate base year, which is the last 4 completed quarters\n\n4. A permanent closure is a qualifying event for benefits, unlike a temporary closure where they expect you to return\n\n5. Those 50 additional hours could make a difference if they push you over the threshold in either the standard or alternate base year\n\nMake sure when you file your new claim you clearly indicate the business has permanently closed. This is completely different from your previous claim for temporary closure.

what about if your employer cut your hours instead of firing you? my boss reduced me from 40 to 15 hours and i tried to file but got so confused

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in my experience, ESD is EXTREMELY rigid about the 680 hour requirement. I was 12 hours short (had 668) and they denied me even after I appealed and explained my situation. The law doesn't give them any discretion on this, unfortunately.\n\nBut here's a bit of good news - if your employer truly closed permanently (not just reduced operations), this is a qualifying separation event. So if you can meet the hours requirement with your additional 50 hours, you should be eligible.\n\nDefinitely file a new claim rather than trying to revive the old one. And make sure you have documentation that the business closed permanently.

Thanks for the straight answer. I'm going to pull together all my paystubs tonight and add up exactly how many hours I have. Hopefully those 50 put me over the threshold!

my friend works at fred meyer and they told me that the first $50 you make each week doesn't count against ur benefits its called the earnings disregard so maybe they have something like that for hours too???? worth asking

That's a different issue. The earnings disregard applies when you're already receiving benefits and working part-time. It doesn't affect the initial qualification hours requirement. There is no similar flexibility with the 680 hours needed to qualify.

One more thing to consider - if you're still short on hours for regular unemployment, check if you might qualify for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) if your job loss is related to a declared disaster, or Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) if your job was affected by foreign trade. These are separate programs with different eligibility requirements.\n\nAlso, when you file your new claim, make sure to report ALL employment from the past 18 months. Sometimes people forget about short-term jobs or gig work that could provide those crucial extra hours.

disaster unemployment?? never heard of that... does covid still count as a disaster in 2025? my work closed bc of losing business during pandemic but it just finally happened now

To the person asking about reduced hours: Yes, you can potentially qualify for partial unemployment if your hours were significantly reduced. It's called

I actually have an email from the owner announcing the permanent closure to all staff, so I'll definitely include that. Thanks!