How do you qualify for unemployment Washington ESD - confused about requirements

You need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period and meet the minimum wage requirements. Your base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. Since you worked 8 months recently, you should have wages in at least two quarters. The minimum is around $3,800 total in your base period with at least $2,500 in your highest quarter.

Don't forget you also have to be able and available to work, plus actively looking for work. Washington ESD requires you to register with WorkSource and do job search activities. You'll need to document your job search efforts when you file your weekly claims.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I first applied. Spent hours on hold just to get basic questions answered. If you run into that problem, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get connected to actual agents. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

ugh the washington esd system is so complicated, why cant they just make it simple to understand if you qualify or not??

You mentioned a 3 month gap in employment - that might affect your base period calculation. If you haven't worked consistently, some of your qualifying wages might be older than they need to be. When exactly did you start your last job and when did the previous job end?

Also make sure you weren't fired for misconduct. If you were laid off due to lack of work or business closure, you should be good. But if there was any disciplinary action or if you quit without good cause, that could disqualify you.

When you file your claim, have all your employment information ready - dates of employment, employer addresses, reason for separation, etc. Washington ESD will verify everything with your employers so make sure it's accurate.

I had a similar situation last year and qualified with no problems. The online application is pretty straightforward once you have your info together. Just be honest about everything and provide accurate dates.

Don't forget about the waiting week! Washington has eliminated the waiting week so you can get paid for your first week of unemployment if you qualify and file on time.

Just a heads up - if you have any issues with your claim getting stuck in adjudication or need to talk to someone at Washington ESD, the phone lines are usually swamped. I ended up using Claimyr to get through when I couldn't reach anyone after days of trying. Really helped me resolve a problem with my weekly claim.

Make sure you understand the difference between being 'able and available' vs being on standby. If you're truly unemployed and looking for work, you're able and available. Standby is for temporary layoffs where you expect to be called back.

Quick question - are you a US citizen or have work authorization? That's another requirement for Washington ESD unemployment benefits.

i qualified easily when i got laid off but the hardest part was actually getting someone on the phone when i had questions. seriously recommend that claimyr thing someone mentioned if you need to talk to washington esd

Based on what you've described, you should definitely qualify. Laid off after 8 months of work, decent wages, no misconduct issues. The application process through SecureAccess Washington is actually pretty smooth once you get started.

One more tip - keep copies of everything you submit to Washington ESD. If there are ever any issues or if your claim gets audited, you'll want documentation of what you provided and when.

The fact that you're asking these questions shows you're being responsible about it. Too many people just assume they qualify without checking the requirements first.