ESD weekly claim with new job - how to report gross pay when first paycheck hasn't arrived?

You need to report the gross earnings for the WEEK you WORKED, not when you got paid. So if you worked Feb 3-9, you report what you EARNED during those days, even if you haven't been paid yet. Your employer should have told you your hourly rate or salary, so just calculate hours worked × rate. There will be a question asking if you're still unemployed or if you returned to work - that's where you indicate it's your final claim. Make sure to answer that accurately!

i had this same issue!!! ESD wants you to report when u WORKED not when u got PAID. its super confusing but thats how they do it. and yes there's a question that asks if ur still unemployed just say NO and that ends ur claim

You absolutely report based on when you earned the money, not when you received payment. This is one of the most common issues people face with weekly claims. You'll need to calculate your estimated gross earnings for that specific week (hours × rate). If your employer later calculates a slightly different amount, ESD typically won't penalize you for minor differences if it was a good-faith estimate. When filing, there will be a question asking if you are still unemployed. Since you've found work, you'll answer "No" to indicate you've returned to full-time work. This automatically closes your claim and lets ESD know it's your final week. Keep documentation of your start date and first paycheck just in case there are any questions later.

I went through something similar in January and spent 3 DAYS trying to reach ESD to get clarification because I was afraid of doing it wrong! Their phone lines are constantly busy and I kept getting disconnected. So frustrating. I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they have this service that helps you get through the ESD phone queue. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent I spoke with confirmed what others are saying - report based on when you worked, not when you got paid. And yes, there's a specific question about returning to work that closes your claim automatically.

Another important detail: if your earnings for that week exceed your weekly benefit amount, you probably won't receive benefits for that week, but you still need to file the claim accurately to properly close out your claim. Failing to report the last week correctly is a common reason people get overpayment notices months later.

wait so if OP worked Feb 3-9 but some of those days were in the previous claim week would they need to split the hours between two weekly claims? or am i just making this more complicated lol

I HATE how ESD makes this so confusing! My sister got hit with a $2,100 overpayment because she reported when she got PAID instead of when she WORKED. The system should be more clear about this! Make sure you're super accurate with your hours. I even took screenshots of my timesheets and saved them in case ESD questioned me later. For your final claim, there's a question that asks if you've returned to work full-time - make sure to say YES to that one.

Congrats on the new job! One thing to add - when you say you "started a job on 2/3" - if that was Feb 3, 2025, that was a Monday, not a Saturday. ESD weeks run Sunday-Saturday, so keep that in mind when dividing up your hours worked if you're submitting claims for multiple weeks.