How long can one get unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

Thanks! I'll check my account tonight. Do you know if there are any extensions available if I don't find work by then?

Extensions depend on federal programs and state unemployment rates. Right now there aren't any automatic extensions like during COVID, but that can change if unemployment rises significantly.

That's good to know. I worked full time for 3 years before being laid off so hopefully I qualify for the full 26 weeks.

Yeah you should be fine with 3 years of work history. The base period calculation looks at your highest earning quarters.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. They handle the calling and waiting for you - check out claimyr.com and their demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. It actually worked for me after months of trying on my own.

Is that legit? I'm desperate at this point but don't want to get scammed.

Yeah it's real. They don't ask for any personal info, just your phone number so they can call you back when they get an agent on the line. Way better than spending hours on hold.

Right, I've been keeping track of my applications and interviews. Do you know exactly how many job search activities are required per week?

It's 3 job search activities per week minimum. Can be applications, interviews, networking events, etc. Just make sure you document everything in your WorkSourceWA account.

wait I thought it was 2 activities per week? or did that change recently?

I've applied to several health systems but haven't heard back yet. The competition is pretty fierce right now with so many people looking for stable healthcare jobs.

Check with temp agencies too, sometimes they have temp-to-perm positions in healthcare that could work out long term.

That's helpful to know. Hopefully I won't need to worry about that scenario but good to understand how it works.

Yep, and if you exhaust your benefits and then get a new job, you'd need to work long enough to establish a new base period before you could file a new claim.

Have you looked into any training programs? Sometimes WorkSource has programs that can extend your benefits while you're getting additional skills.

I'll look into that, thanks. I'm also wondering if I should start applying for jobs outside my field just to have income coming in.

Don't panic yet - a lot can happen in 4 weeks. Keep applying and networking. Also make sure you're meeting all the requirements so you don't lose benefits early.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already stretched thin on unemployment.

It's worth checking their site for current info. For me it was worth it just to get answers about my claim status and avoid the endless calling.

The waiting week is part of your benefit year but you don't get paid for it. So you get paid for up to 26 weeks, but the waiting week doesn't count toward that 26.

Got it, so really 27 weeks total including the unpaid waiting week. Thanks for clarifying!

Thanks for the encouragement. I haven't looked into partial unemployment - is that if you're working part time while collecting?

Yes, you can work part time and still collect partial benefits as long as you report your earnings. There's a formula they use to calculate how much you can earn before it affects your benefits.

Totally agree. The website has the info but it's buried in dense text and hard to understand. That's why I ended up calling so many times - and eventually using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier.

Yeah their website is terrible. Half the links don't work properly and the information is scattered across different pages.

Good point. I've been applying to jobs at various pay levels but haven't been offered anything yet. Hopefully when I do get offers they'll be reasonable.

The suitable work rules are pretty reasonable in Washington. They understand you shouldn't have to take a minimum wage job immediately after being laid off from a professional position.

That's good advice. I think I was overthinking it. I'll just keep doing what I'm supposed to do and hopefully find something before I run out of benefits.

Exactly. And remember that most people do find work before exhausting their benefits. The system is designed to provide temporary support while you search.