How long do i need to work for a company to get Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

It's not about how long you work for one specific company - Washington ESD looks at your total earnings during what they call the 'base period.' You need to have earned at least $7,500 in your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file your claim.

yeah the base period thing is confusing but basically if youve been working steadily for over a year total you should be fine. i got laid off after only 6 months at my job but qualified because of my previous work history

There's also a weekly benefit requirement - you need to have worked and earned wages in at least 20 weeks during your base period, or have total base period earnings of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings. The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator that can help you figure out if you qualify.

Just went through this myself after getting terminated. The hardest part honestly wasn't figuring out if I qualified - it was actually getting through to someone at Washington ESD to ask questions about my claim. I must have called hundreds of times over 3 weeks trying to get help with my adjudication issues. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent within a few days. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE WASHINGTON ESD PHONE SYSTEM!!! I spent literally 6 hours one day just getting hung up on over and over. The whole system is broken and they dont care

Another thing to keep in mind - you also need to be unemployed through no fault of your own. So if you quit voluntarily, you might not qualify unless you have good cause. But layoffs and terminations usually qualify as long as it wasn't for misconduct.

This might be a dumb question but do they count contract work or just regular employment? I did some 1099 work between my last two jobs.

Pro tip - if you do end up needing to file, gather all your employment documents now while you're still working. Pay stubs, W-2s, any separation paperwork if you get laid off. Makes the process much smoother.

Also remember you have to be actively looking for work and report your job search activities. The Washington ESD requires a minimum number of job search contacts each week depending on your situation.

Wait, I thought you needed to work for 6 months minimum? Or is that something different?

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it really did help me get through to Washington ESD faster. My claim was stuck in adjudication for weeks and I couldn't get answers. Within 2 days of using their service I was talking to an actual person who could explain what was holding up my claim.

Just wanted to add that even if you think you might not qualify, it's worth applying anyway. The worst they can say is no, and you might be surprised. I thought I hadn't worked enough but ended up qualifying.

One more thing - if you do get laid off, ask your employer for a letter explaining the reason for termination. Sometimes Washington ESD needs documentation about why you're no longer employed, especially if there are any questions about the circumstances.

Something else to consider - if you've been getting reduced hours instead of a full layoff, you might still qualify for partial unemployment benefits. Washington ESD has provisions for people whose hours have been cut significantly.

Been following this thread and wanted to mention that I also had success with Claimyr when I was having trouble reaching Washington ESD about my weekly claim certification issues. The regular phone lines were impossible but their service got me connected pretty quickly.

Final thought - make sure you understand the difference between your base period and benefit year. These are different time periods and it can affect when you're eligible to file a new claim versus continuing an existing one.