How does unemployment work for seasonal workers in Washington state?

Yes, seasonal workers can definitely file for unemployment in Washington! You're eligible as long as you meet the basic requirements - earned enough wages in your base year and are unemployed through no fault of your own. The key thing is whether you have a definite return-to-work date or just a possibility.

I work seasonal construction and go through this every winter. You can file for regular unemployment benefits during your off-season. Standby status is different - that's when you have a definite recall date within 12 weeks. Since your employer just said 'might rehire,' that doesn't qualify for standby.

Been dealing with seasonal unemployment for years and it's honestly a pain to get through to Washington ESD to clarify these situations. If you need to talk to someone about your specific case, I discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to Washington ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.

wait so if I work summers only can I get unemployment all winter long? that seems like gaming the system

The tricky part with seasonal work is proving you're available for work. Washington ESD might question whether you're truly seeking employment or just waiting for your seasonal job to start up again. Make sure you're applying to jobs in your field or related fields during your claim period. Keep detailed records of your job search activities because they can audit those at any time.

I've been seasonal landscaping for 3 years now and always file unemployment in winter. Never had any issues. Just make sure you report any work you do during your claim period, even if it's just a few hours here and there. Washington ESD is pretty good about handling seasonal claims as long as you're honest.

One thing to watch out for - if you work seasonal jobs for different employers, Washington ESD might question whether you're establishing a pattern of seasonal unemployment. They could potentially require you to look for year-round work instead of just staying in seasonal industries.

Does anyone know if you can collect unemployment between seasonal jobs if one ends in October and the other doesn't start until December? Or do you have to wait a certain period?

The Washington ESD website has good info about seasonal work but honestly their phone system is impossible. Took me weeks to get through to ask about my specific situation. Ended up using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and finally got answers about whether my winter layoff qualified for benefits.

I work for a ski resort and we get laid off every spring. HR always tells us we can file for unemployment but warns that we need to be actively looking for work. They can't guarantee rehire for next season even though most of us come back. It's just how seasonal industries work.

been doing seasonal farm work for years and the unemployment office knows the deal. they're used to agricultural workers filing claims during off seasons. just be prepared to explain your work pattern and why you're not working year-round

Quick question - if I know I'm going back to the same seasonal job next year, do I still need to register with WorkSource? That seems pointless if I already have work lined up.

The whole system seems designed to make it as difficult as possible for working people to get benefits they've paid into. Seasonal workers especially get screwed because we have to jump through all these hoops just to bridge the gap between jobs.

For anyone still confused about this stuff, I highly recommend calling Washington ESD directly to discuss your specific situation. I know their phones are busy but it's worth it to get official guidance. That Claimyr thing people mentioned actually worked for me too - got through to an agent in like 20 minutes instead of trying for weeks.

One last tip - keep really good records of your seasonal work dates, wages, and layoff notices. Washington ESD might ask for this information during your claim or if you ever get audited. Having everything organized makes the process much smoother.

As someone who's been working seasonal tourism jobs for about 4 years, I can confirm that filing for unemployment between seasons is totally normal and legitimate. The key things I've learned: 1) You absolutely can file during gap periods even without guaranteed rehire, 2) You'll need to do job searches unless you're on official standby (which requires a definite recall date within 12 weeks), and 3) Keep detailed records of everything - work dates, wages, layoff notices, and your job search activities. Washington ESD is generally pretty reasonable with seasonal workers since they understand the nature of these industries. Just be honest about your situation and follow all the requirements. The phone system is frustrating but if you need to talk to someone, that Claimyr service others mentioned really does work - saved me tons of time trying to get through.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that Washington ESD also considers your "ability and availability" for work when reviewing seasonal claims. Even if you're between seasonal jobs, you need to show that you're genuinely available to accept other work if offered. I had a friend who got questioned because they turned down a temporary job offer during their off-season, thinking they could just wait for their seasonal work to start back up. Washington ESD wasn't happy about that and it caused issues with their claim. So while you're doing your job searches, make sure you're actually willing to accept reasonable job offers, even if they're temporary or outside your usual seasonal field. It shows good faith that you're not just using unemployment as a bridge payment between your preferred seasonal jobs.

Just wanted to add my experience as a seasonal hospitality worker - I've been doing summer resort work and winter ski lodge jobs for about 3 years now. The timing rarely lines up perfectly, so there are always gaps where I need unemployment benefits. One thing that really helped me was being upfront with Washington ESD about my seasonal work pattern from the very first claim. I explained that I work in tourism/hospitality which is inherently seasonal, and they seemed to understand and even made notes in my file about it. Now when I file claims during my off-seasons, the process goes much smoother because they already have context about my work history. Also, don't be discouraged if your first claim takes longer to process - they sometimes need extra time to verify seasonal employment patterns, but once they understand your situation, subsequent claims are usually faster. The job search requirement can feel tedious when you know you'll likely return to seasonal work, but I've actually found some good temporary gigs this way that helped bridge the income gap even better than just relying on unemployment alone.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! As someone just getting into seasonal work, I was really worried about how to handle the gaps between jobs. It sounds like the key things are: file regular unemployment claims if there's no guaranteed rehire, do genuine job searches even if you're hoping to return to seasonal work, keep detailed records of everything, and be upfront with Washington ESD about your seasonal work pattern. I'm definitely going to check out that Claimyr service if I need to actually talk to someone - seems like everyone who used it had good results. Thanks for sharing all your real-world experiences - it makes this whole process feel much less intimidating!

As a fellow seasonal worker (I do event staffing and festival work), I want to emphasize something that helped me a lot - when you file your unemployment claim, be very specific about your layoff circumstances in the initial application. Don't just put "seasonal layoff" - explain that your position ended due to the seasonal nature of the work and that while your employer expressed interest in potentially rehiring you next season, there's no definite recall date or guarantee. This specificity helps Washington ESD categorize your claim correctly from the start and can prevent delays or confusion later. Also, I've found it helpful to keep a simple spreadsheet tracking my seasonal work patterns - dates of employment, employers, wages, and layoff reasons. It's been invaluable when filling out applications or answering questions from ESD. The seasonal work life can be stressful with the income gaps, but Washington's unemployment system really does work for us if we follow the rules and document everything properly.

I've been doing seasonal outdoor recreation work (summer guiding, winter ski instruction) for about 5 years and can definitely confirm everything people are saying here. The unemployment filing process becomes much easier once you establish a pattern with Washington ESD. A few additional tips from my experience: 1) If you work for the same seasonal employers year after year, mention this continuity in your applications - it shows you're not just job-hopping but following legitimate seasonal industry patterns, 2) During job searches, don't ignore opportunities in related outdoor/recreation fields even if they're temporary - ESD likes to see you're staying active in your professional area, and 3) I actually set up a simple calendar system to track my seasonal cycles, unemployment filing dates, and benefit exhaustion periods. This helps me plan financially and ensures I never miss filing deadlines. The system really does work for seasonal workers once you understand the requirements and stay organized with documentation!

I've been working seasonal retail (holiday season) and summer camp positions for the past two years and wanted to share what I learned about timing your unemployment claims. One thing that caught me off guard was that you can't just wait until you're completely out of money to file - there's usually a one-week waiting period before benefits start, so file as soon as you're laid off. Also, I discovered that Washington ESD has an online calculator to estimate your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings history, which really helped me budget during my off-seasons. The hardest part for me was the job search requirement since I knew I wanted to return to seasonal work, but I actually ended up finding some great temporary positions that filled the gaps perfectly. My advice is to treat the unemployment system as one part of your seasonal strategy, not your only plan - combine it with temp work, savings, and maybe even picking up some skills during your downtime that make you more valuable when the next season starts.

As someone who works in seasonal agriculture (orchards in fall, Christmas tree farms in winter), I've been filing unemployment claims during my gap periods for about 3 years now. One thing I learned the hard way is that Washington ESD sometimes asks for additional documentation if your seasonal work pattern seems irregular or if you've had multiple employers in a short time. They want to make sure you're genuinely seasonally unemployed and not just cycling through jobs. I keep a folder with all my seasonal employment letters, pay stubs, and any communication from employers about seasonal layoffs. Also, something I haven't seen mentioned here - if you do ANY work during your claim period, even just a few hours of odd jobs or helping a friend with their business, you MUST report it on your weekly claim. I made the mistake of not reporting some small cash work thinking it didn't matter, and it caused a major headache when they found out during an audit. Be completely transparent about everything, even if it seems minor. The system works for seasonal workers, but you have to follow every rule exactly.

This is exactly the kind of detailed, real-world advice that's so valuable! Your point about keeping documentation for irregular seasonal patterns is crucial - I can see how working for multiple seasonal employers might raise red flags if you don't have proper paperwork. The reminder about reporting ALL work, even small cash jobs, is also super important. I've heard horror stories about people getting in trouble for unreported work that seemed insignificant at the time. It sounds like the key theme across everyone's experiences is being completely transparent and organized with documentation. As someone just starting out with seasonal work, I'm definitely going to set up that documentation system from day one rather than trying to piece it together later. Thanks for sharing the hard-won lessons - it's clear that while the system works for seasonal workers, there's no room for shortcuts or assumptions about what matters and what doesn't.