Filed ESD claim at midnight - anyone else seeing delayed processing?

Initial claims almost always take longer than weekly claims. Don't panic yet. The system needs to verify your work history, wages, and eligibility. I filed my initial claim in March 2025 and it took 9 days to process fully. During that time, continue filing your weekly claims even if the initial one is still processing. This is VERY important - if you miss filing weekly claims while waiting, you'll lose those weeks of benefits. Also, make sure you're completing your 3 job search activities each week and documenting them properly.

yeah midnight filings can b weird sometimes. i did mine at like 2am last month and it took almost 2 weeks to process. my cousin did hers mid-day and got processed in 3 days. who knows how there system works lol

Their system is probably DESIGNED to be slow on purpose. They want you to give up so they don't have to pay benefits. I waited THREE WEEKS for my initial claim to process and then they put me into adjudication for another month!!! All because my employer disputed my hours (which I had proof of on my paystubs). The whole ESD system is broken and they don't care about workers.

I had a similar situation last month with my new claim. After waiting a week with no movement, I tried calling ESD but kept getting the dreaded "high call volume" message and disconnects. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a live agent within 30 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent explained that new claims filed during certain hours can sometimes get flagged for additional verification, especially if you have multiple employers in your base year. They were able to check my claim status and push it through to the next stage right on the call. Definitely worth considering if your claim stays stuck in processing for more than a week.

For new initial claims filed in 2025, the average processing time has been running about 5-7 business days if there are no issues requiring adjudication. However, claims filed during off-hours (midnight-4am) are sometimes batched differently in the system queue and can take 1-2 days longer. Make sure you've uploaded all required identity verification documents, as that's often what delays processing. Also, double-check that your work history quarters are all reported correctly - if any employers are missing, that can trigger a longer review process.

My sister works at a WorkSource office (not ESD directly but they work with them) and she says they've been super backed up lately because of some seasonal construction layoffs. She mentioned something about their system doing maintenance overnight too, so maybe filing at midnight actually puts you at the back of the line for the next day's processing?

UPDATE: My claim finally moved from "processing" to "pending" this morning! So it took about 3 days total. I also got a notice that I need to complete an identity verification interview, which is scheduled for next week. Thanks everyone for the advice and help!