How long can you be on unemployment in Washington - what's the maximum?

So that means I have 18 weeks left on my current claim? That's actually more time than I thought.

yeah but you still have to keep doing job searches and filing weekly claims the whole time

Never heard of that service before. Did it actually help you get through to someone?

Yeah it saved me hours of calling. I was able to get my questions answered about my remaining benefit weeks without the usual runaround.

No, regular UI is still 26 weeks in Washington. What ended were the federal pandemic programs like PUA and PEUC. Those gave extra weeks but they're gone now.

oh ok that makes sense. thanks for clarifying!

I didn't know part-time work weeks counted toward the limit. That's actually really important to know.

What exactly is standby status? Is that different from regular unemployment?

Standby means you have a definite return-to-work date with your employer, usually within 8 weeks. You don't have to do job searches but there are time limits on how long you can stay on standby.

Have you been meeting all your job search requirements? Sometimes people don't realize they need to log 3 job search activities per week.

Yeah I've been keeping my job search log updated. Just haven't found anything yet that matches my experience level.

Don't be too picky about the perfect match - you might need to take something to bridge the gap before your benefits run out

You'd need to have worked and earned enough wages after your current claim started to qualify for a new claim. There's no automatic restart - you have to meet the monetary eligibility requirements again.

That makes sense. So basically you need to work between claims to requalify.

An hour?? That's way better than what I've been dealing with. I might have to check that out.

how much does claimyr cost though? is it worth it?

For me it was totally worth it to get accurate info instead of stressing about it for weeks. Check their site for current pricing.

Extended Benefits (EB) can trigger when unemployment rates hit certain thresholds, but Washington hasn't triggered EB recently. It's separate from regular UI and has additional work search requirements.

Good to know. So right now it's just the standard 26 weeks unless something changes.

Good advice. I'm at week 8 so I still have time but I should probably be more aggressive with applications.

Yeah don't make the mistake of thinking you have tons of time. Those weeks disappear quick.

Washington doesn't have a waiting week anymore. They eliminated it a few years ago. So you get paid for all 26 weeks if you're eligible.

Perfect, thanks! That's one less thing to worry about.

This is so important! I almost missed a filing deadline once and panicked

Good reminder. I have mine set up as a recurring calendar event so I don't forget.

Agreed! Their website is terrible for finding straightforward answers

That's why services like Claimyr exist - because getting through to actual humans at Washington ESD is nearly impossible otherwise

Good point. I'll keep that in mind if any part-time opportunities come up while I'm searching.

Yeah overpayments are a nightmare to deal with. Better to be super careful with reporting.