How long do I have to work for Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

So it's based on quarters, not months? That's confusing. What's the minimum wage requirement you mentioned?

Yes, quarters. You need to have earned at least $1,000 in your highest quarter and total wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings across the entire base period.

Wow, 680 hours seems like a lot. How do they verify that? Do I need to keep track of all my hours?

Washington ESD gets your wage and hour information directly from your employers through quarterly reports. You don't have to track it yourself, but it's good to keep your own records just in case.

That's assuming your employer actually reports correctly. I had to fight with Washington ESD because my previous employer under-reported my hours.

Is that legitimate? Sounds too good to be true honestly.

Yeah it's real. I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Got through to someone at Washington ESD in like 20 minutes instead of calling all day.

I might try that if I can't figure out my eligibility. The Washington ESD website is so confusing.

What's the alternate base period?

It's the last four completed calendar quarters before you file. Sometimes people qualify under this period when they don't qualify under the standard base period.

Tell me about it. I spent hours trying to figure out my base period quarters.

It's actually designed to be fair to people who work different schedules. The multiple qualification methods help more people qualify than a simple time-based requirement would.

That's reassuring. I started working in July so I should have wages in Q3 and Q4 of last year.

Just remember your benefit amount will be based on your highest quarter earnings, so part-time work means lower benefits.

What does actively seeking work mean exactly? Do I have to apply to a certain number of jobs each week?

Yes, you need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a record of your job search activities. Washington ESD can ask to see your job search log at any time.

Same here. I worked 4 months full-time and qualified easily.

That gives me hope. I guess I should just apply and see what happens.

Good point. I'm not planning to quit, just worried about layoffs since business has been slow.

If you get laid off due to lack of work, that should qualify you. Just make sure to file your claim right away after your last day of work.

I'll look for that. Is it under the 'File a Claim' section?

I think it's under 'Unemployment Benefits' then 'Benefit Estimator' but the website layout changes sometimes.

That's so frustrating. You'd think they'd train their staff better.

This is exactly why I started using Claimyr. Gets you to agents who actually know what they're talking about instead of the first-level phone bank people.

That's smart. I'm not in immediate danger of losing my job so I could keep working and build up more qualifying wages.

Just don't wait too long if you do lose your job. There's a time limit on filing claims after your last day of work.

Probably some truth to that unfortunately.

The complexity comes from trying to cover all the different work situations people have. It's not perfect but it's more comprehensive than simpler systems.

That's reassuring. I feel better about my situation now. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!

Good luck! Hope you don't need to use unemployment but at least now you know you probably qualify if you do.