How long do you have to be employed before you can collect unemployment in Washington?

The requirement isn't about how long you work at one job, it's about your total earnings during your base period. For Washington ESD, you need to have earned at least $1,096 in your base period (which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file). You also need earnings in at least two quarters of your base period.

yeah i think its the base period thing too but honestly the washington esd system is so confusing with all the quarters and stuff

I was in a similar situation last year and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check my eligibility. Spent hours on hold trying to reach someone who could explain my base period. Finally found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent quickly. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

This whole base period calculation is ridiculous!! Why can't Washington ESD just make it simple like 'work 3 months, get benefits'? Instead we have to figure out quarters and minimum earnings and all this bureaucratic nonsense.

To be more specific about Washington ESD requirements: You need at least $1,096 total in your base period AND earnings in at least 2 different quarters. Plus your weekly benefit amount is calculated from your highest earning quarter, so more work history generally means higher benefits.

wait so if i worked for 2 weeks and then got fired could i still get unemployment if i had enough earnings from before??

This is all making more sense now. I'm going to look up my earnings from my previous job and see if I would meet the base period requirements. Hopefully I won't need to find out, but good to know where I stand.

does anyone know how long it takes for new employers to report wages to washington esd? like if i just started this job would those wages show up right away?

I remember being confused about this too when I first moved to Washington. The base period thing is actually pretty standard across most states, just the dollar amounts vary.

Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing since someone asked - it really does work well for reaching Washington ESD agents. I used it again recently for a different issue and got through in like 10 minutes instead of the usual hour+ wait times.

One thing to keep in mind is even if you qualify based on earnings, you still have to meet all the other requirements like being able and available for work, actively searching for jobs, etc.

i wish washington esd would just send you a letter or something telling you if you qualify instead of making you guess

For anyone still confused about base periods, here's a simple way to think about it: Washington ESD looks at the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in February 2025, they'd look at Oct-Dec 2024, Jul-Sep 2024, Apr-Jun 2024, and Jan-Mar 2024.

My cousin works for Washington ESD and she always tells people to keep good records of their employment because the wage reporting isn't always perfect. Sometimes employers mess up or report late.

This thread is really helpful! I was wondering about the same thing since I'm starting a new job next week. At least now I know it's not about length of employment at one place but total earnings over the base period.

dont forget that even if you meet the earnings requirement you can still be disqualified for other reasons like quitting without good cause or getting fired for misconduct

I had to use Claimyr too when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my base period calculation. Really saved me a lot of frustration trying to call over and over.

The whole system seems designed to confuse people. Like why not just say 'you need to work X months' instead of all this quarters and earnings stuff?

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel like I understand the Washington ESD requirements much better now. Hopefully I won't need to use this knowledge but it's good to know where I stand.

just wanted to add that if you're close to qualifying you might want to wait and work a bit longer to get a higher benefit amount since its based on your earnings