How long can a person draw unemployment benefits in Washington state?
I just got laid off from my warehouse job after 2 years and I'm trying to figure out how long I can receive unemployment benefits through Washington ESD. I've never filed for UI before so I'm not sure what the maximum time limit is. I heard it's different depending on your work history but I can't find clear information on the Washington ESD website. Does anyone know how they calculate the benefit duration?
39 comments
Join the conversation
Mateo Warren
In Washington state, the standard maximum is 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits. This assumes you have sufficient work history and wages in your base period. The exact number of weeks you qualify for depends on how much you earned during your base period - they use a formula to calculate it.
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
•Thanks! What exactly is the base period? Is that just the last year I worked?
0 coins
Mateo Warren
•The base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through September 2024.
0 coins
Sofia Price
I went through this last year. You can get up to 26 weeks but only if you have enough wages. They look at your highest earning quarter and use that to determine your weekly benefit amount and total duration. If you didn't work much or had low wages, you might get fewer weeks.
0 coins
Alice Coleman
•This is confusing me too. I worked part time for most of 2024 so I'm worried I won't qualify for the full 26 weeks.
0 coins
Sofia Price
•You should still apply! Even part-time work can qualify you for benefits, just maybe not the maximum amount or duration.
0 coins
Owen Jenkins
Just a heads up - if you can't get through to Washington ESD by phone to ask questions about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting disconnected.
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
•Interesting, I hadn't heard of that. Is it legit or one of those scam services?
0 coins
Owen Jenkins
•It's legitimate. They don't ask for your personal info or login details, they just help you get through the phone queue to talk to a real Washington ESD representative.
0 coins
Lilah Brooks
The 26 week thing is just for regular UI benefits. There used to be extended benefits during COVID but those ended. Now it's back to the standard 26 weeks maximum, and that's only if you qualify for the full amount based on your earnings history.
0 coins
Jackson Carter
•Yeah those pandemic benefits were confusing everyone for a while. Good thing they simplified it back to just regular unemployment.
0 coins
Kolton Murphy
•I miss those extended benefits though, they really helped during the worst of it.
0 coins
Mateo Warren
One important thing to remember - you have to file your weekly claims every week and meet all the job search requirements to keep getting benefits. Missing a week or not doing your job search activities can interrupt your claim.
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
•What are the job search requirements? How many jobs do I have to apply for each week?
0 coins
Mateo Warren
•You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log of your activities. You can use WorkSourceWA to track them online.
0 coins
Alice Coleman
This might be a dumb question but do the 26 weeks have to be consecutive? Like if I find a job after 10 weeks but then get laid off again 6 months later, do I still have 16 weeks left?
0 coins
Mateo Warren
•No, if you return to work and then become unemployed again, you'd need to file a new claim based on your recent work history. The remaining weeks from your old claim don't carry over.
0 coins
Evelyn Rivera
•That's what happened to me. I used 12 weeks, went back to work for 8 months, got laid off again and had to start completely over with a new claim.
0 coins
Julia Hall
Don't forget that Washington state also has standby benefits if you're temporarily laid off and expecting to be called back to work. That's different from regular UI and has different rules about job searching.
0 coins
Arjun Patel
•What's the difference between standby and regular unemployment? I keep seeing both terms on the Washington ESD website.
0 coins
Julia Hall
•Standby is for when your employer gives you a specific return-to-work date within 4 weeks. You don't have to do job search activities because you already have a job to return to.
0 coins
Jade Lopez
I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days to get clarification on my benefit duration but keep getting disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. This system is so frustrating!
0 coins
Owen Jenkins
•That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. The Washington ESD phone system is overwhelmed and it's nearly impossible to get through during normal business hours.
0 coins
Tony Brooks
•I tried calling at 8am sharp when they open and still couldn't get through. There has to be a better way to reach them.
0 coins
Ella rollingthunder87
The 26 weeks is the absolute maximum, but most people don't get that long. It depends on how much you earned in your highest quarter during the base period. There's a formula they use but it's pretty complicated.
0 coins
Yara Campbell
•Is there a way to estimate how many weeks you'll get before you apply? I want to plan my finances accordingly.
0 coins
Ella rollingthunder87
•Washington ESD has a benefit calculator on their website, but it's not always accurate. Your best bet is to file and see what they determine.
0 coins
Isaac Wright
Just remember that even if you qualify for 26 weeks, you still need to be actively looking for work and available for work the whole time. If you turn down suitable job offers or stop looking, they can cut off your benefits early.
0 coins
Maya Diaz
•What counts as a 'suitable' job offer? Do I have to take anything or can I be picky about salary and location?
0 coins
Isaac Wright
•Generally suitable work is in your field or related field, pays at least 70% of your previous wage, and is within reasonable commuting distance. But the definition can vary.
0 coins
Tami Morgan
One thing that caught me off guard - if you have any issues with your claim like adjudication for a previous employer dispute, that can delay or reduce your benefit weeks even if you technically qualify for the full 26.
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
•What kind of issues cause adjudication? I left my job on good terms so hopefully I won't have problems.
0 coins
Tami Morgan
•Common ones are if your employer contests the claim saying you were fired for misconduct, or if there are questions about why you left. Even minor issues can trigger a review.
0 coins
Rami Samuels
The whole system seems designed to confuse people and make it hard to get benefits. I had to call Washington ESD multiple times just to understand my benefit duration, and each representative gave me slightly different information.
0 coins
Haley Bennett
•That's so frustrating! You'd think they would have consistent training for their staff.
0 coins
Douglas Foster
•I had better luck using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. At least I got to talk to someone who could look at my specific account instead of getting generic answers.
0 coins
Nina Chan
For what it's worth, I got the full 26 weeks when I was laid off in 2023. I had worked full-time for 3 years at decent wages, so I qualified for the maximum. If you've been working steady, you'll probably get close to the full duration.
0 coins
Ruby Knight
•That's reassuring. I've been at my job for 2 years full-time so hopefully I'll qualify for most of the 26 weeks too.
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
•Thanks everyone for all the info! This has been really helpful in understanding how the benefit duration works.
0 coins