How long do u have to work somewhere to get unemployment in Washington state?

Oh that makes more sense! So if I made decent money at my last job plus this current one I should be fine then?

Exactly! Washington ESD combines wages from all your covered employers during that base period. As long as you hit those minimum thresholds you're good.

Nope, that's a common misconception. Your HR person was wrong - there's no minimum time requirement at any single employer.

HR departments get this wrong ALL the time. They're not unemployment experts, they just repeat what they think they know.

That's super helpful, I'll definitely check out that calculator. Did you have any trouble getting through to Washington ESD when you filed?

Yeah getting through by phone was impossible. I actually ended up using this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an agent - saved me hours of calling. You can check it out at claimyr.com, they even have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Yes, part-time wages absolutely count! As long as your employer paid unemployment taxes on your wages, they count toward your base period earnings.

Good to know, thanks! I had like 3 different part-time jobs last year so hopefully that adds up.

Yeah I figured there would be other hoops to jump through. Do they make you apply for a certain number of jobs each week?

In Washington you need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep detailed records. They're pretty strict about the job search requirements.

Don't stress! If you worked other places earlier in the year you're probably fine. The system is designed to help people who've been working, not punish job hoppers.

Ouch, that sucks! Good thing I'm potentially getting laid off rather than wanting to quit.

Yeah being laid off is much better for UI purposes. Quitting requires proving good cause which is really hard to do.

That's reassuring! Did you file online or over the phone?

Filed online initially but had to call to sort out some wage discrepancies. That's when I discovered how impossible it is to reach them by phone.

Which callback service? I keep seeing people mention Claimyr but wasn't sure if it was legit.

Yeah that's the one I used - Claimyr. It's legit, they basically call Washington ESD for you and patch you through when they get an agent. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

Interesting point! How do you figure out the best timing?

Washington ESD has information about base periods on their website, but honestly it's confusing. If you're borderline, might be worth talking to an agent to run the numbers both ways.

Construction work is perfect for this because you typically have wages from multiple employers throughout the year. Just make sure all your employers were paying into the UI system.

Good to know there's a backup option! This is all way more complicated than I expected.

The alternate base period uses the last 4 completed quarters instead of the first 4 of the last 5. It's automatic if you don't qualify the regular way.

100% this! HR at my last job told people they couldn't get unemployment if they were fired for any reason. Complete BS - you can get UI even if you're fired unless it's for misconduct.

Yeah my friend's HR told her she needed a full year at one job which is obviously wrong based on what I'm learning here.

How much does something like that cost? Seems too good to be true that you can just skip the phone lines.

It's not free but honestly worth it when you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD. Saved me so much frustration compared to calling myself.

Good point! I had a short temp job last spring that I almost forgot about.

Thanks everyone! This thread has been super helpful. Feeling much better about my situation now.

Glad we could help clear things up! The Washington ESD system can be confusing but once you understand the basic rules it makes more sense.

Definitely agree with this summary! Charlotte, you should be fine with 8 months at your current job plus whatever you earned before. I was in a similar situation last year - worked at three different places over 18 months and still qualified easily. The key is just making sure you hit that $3,850 minimum across all your jobs during the base period. Best of luck if you do end up needing to file!