ESD's 680 work hour requirement & backpay questions for 2025 claims

The 680 hours aren't based on calendar year. ESD looks at your "base year" - that's the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you apply now in 2025, they'd look at your work history from about 12-15 months ago through about 3 months ago. And no, they don't backpay from when you became unemployed - only from when you apply. You should apply ASAP because you're losing potential benefits for every week you wait.

OMG I was so confused about this too!! I thought it was calendar year and was FREAKING OUT because I switched jobs twice last year. ESD denied my first claim and I had to call them like 50 times to get through to fix it!!! SO FRUSTRATING!!! They finally explained the base year thing to me but it took FOREVER to get someone on the phone.

To add some clarity - the base year is defined as the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before your claim. For example, if you file in April 2025, your base year would be January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024. You need 680 work hours within that period. And no, ESD does not backpay from when you became unemployed - only from the week you submit your application. That's why it's critical to apply as soon as you're eligible, even if you're not 100% sure about your hours. Better to apply and be denied than miss out on weeks of benefits. One more thing - if you don't qualify using the regular base year, they can sometimes use an "alternate base year" which is the last 4 completed quarters. Worth asking about if you're denied initially.

i dont think anyone mentioned this but they do look at your wages too, not just hours. i had enough hours but not enough total wages and got denied at first. had to wait for my most recent quarter to be included (thats the alternate base year someone mentioned) before i qualified.

When I applied last month, I was able to see exactly which quarters they were looking at for my base year right on the application screen. It showed my reported wages for each quarter too, which made it easier to understand if I qualified. Just a heads up that the system is actually pretty clear about this now compared to the old one.

I was in exactly your position in January! Waited two weeks after losing my job because I wasn't sure if I had enough hours. Turns out I was just losing money by waiting. If you're having trouble getting through to ESD by phone to ask questions (I tried for days), I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent explained my base year calculation and confirmed I had enough hours. Definitely worth it since I was able to start my claim that same day instead of waiting even longer.

Just want to add that the 680 hours thing is crucial - I had 675 hours in my base year and they denied me by just 5 hours!!! They're very strict about it. Count your hours carefully.

Since no one has mentioned it - you don't need documentation ready when you first apply. ESD will verify your hours and wages with your employers based on what they've reported for unemployment tax purposes. BUT keep your paystubs handy in case there's a discrepancy you need to dispute.

I just rememebrdd another thing!!! Make sure you file your weekly claims even while waiting to find out if you qualify!! I didnt know this and missed out on 3 weeks of payments because I wasnt claiming while my application was processing. SUCH a stupid rule but that's how they do it!!

Just a heads up for restaurant workers specifically - your tips count toward the wage requirement but not the hours requirement. So if you were working fewer scheduled hours but making good tips, you might meet the $1,300 wage threshold but still fall short on the 680 hours. I learned this the hard way when I was bartending part-time. Make sure you're counting actual hours worked, not just looking at your total earnings!