How long do you have to be at a job for unemployment benefits in Washington?

It's not really about how long you worked at one specific job - Washington ESD looks at your total earnings over what they call your 'base period.' You need to have earned at least $1,685 total during your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you made enough money between both jobs combined, you should qualify.

You also need to have worked in at least 2 quarters during your base period. The fact that you quit your previous job might be an issue though - Washington ESD will look at the reason for separation from ALL your recent jobs, not just your most recent one. Since you were laid off from your last job, that's good, but they might ask about why you quit the other one.

I had a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about my eligibility. I kept calling and getting hung up on or being on hold forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an actual agent. Check out their website at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made it so much easier to get my questions answered about my base period and work history.

just file and see what happens. worst case they say no. i worked 3 months at one job and got benefits so i think ur probably fine

The Washington ESD system is so confusing! I've been trying to figure out my own eligibility for weeks. I worked part-time at two different jobs over the past year but neither was very long. One was 4 months, the other was about 7 months. I'm worried I didn't make enough money to qualify.

Be prepared for them to potentially put your claim into adjudication if there are any questions about why you left jobs. Mine took 6 weeks to get resolved because they had to investigate my separation from a previous employer. It's frustrating but just be patient and provide any documentation they ask for.

I think there's also something about having to earn a certain amount in your highest quarter? Like you need to have earned at least $1,685 total AND have earned enough in your highest-earning quarter. I'm not 100% sure on the exact numbers though.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE IT HARD FOR PEOPLE TO GET BENEFITS! They throw all these complicated rules at you hoping you'll just give up. Don't let them discourage you - if you worked and paid taxes you deserve benefits when you're laid off!

When I applied last year, I used Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD and ask about my work history. The agent was able to pull up my wages from all my jobs and tell me exactly what my base period looked like. Really helpful to get that info before filing so I knew what to expect.

Just want to add that if you do apply and get approved, make sure you understand the job search requirements. You'll need to do at least 3 job search activities per week and keep a log. Washington ESD is pretty strict about that.

ok so i'm reading all this and getting more confused lol. if i worked at 3 different jobs over the past year but only for like 3-4 months each, do i still qualify? none of the jobs were full time

This thread is really helpful! I was in almost the exact same situation as OP - worked at one job for about 6 months, then another for 10 months before getting laid off. I was worried about not having enough work history but sounds like I should be fine. Thanks everyone!

One more thing - if you do end up needing to talk to Washington ESD about your eligibility or any other questions, I've heard good things about that Claimyr service people mentioned. My cousin used it when she had issues with her claim and said it saved her tons of time and frustration.