How long do you have to be employed to get unemployment benefits in Washington?

Washington ESD looks at your base period which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. You need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period and meet minimum wage requirements. It's not about how long you worked at one job, but your total earnings during that base period.

Washington ESD doesn't have a specific minimum employment duration, but you need to meet their base period earnings requirement. You need to have earned at least $5,265 during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed). It's not about how long you worked at one job, but your total earnings over that timeframe.

i think you need like 680 hours or something? not sure about the exact number but its not that much

yeah i was worried about the same thing when i got laid off after 6 months but i still qualified because i had worked part time at another place the year before. washington uses your earnings from multiple jobs if you had them

I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for weeks about my own claim and can never get through on the phone. Their system is so frustrating when you need answers fast!

The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator where you can check if you qualify before filing. It's under the 'Apply for Benefits' section. Might save you some time if you don't meet the earnings threshold.

The wage requirements can be confusing. I spent forever trying to figure this out when I got laid off last year. What really helped was using Claimyr to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD who could look at my specific work history and tell me exactly where I stood. Way easier than trying to calculate it myself. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Wait, what if most of your work was under the table? Asking for a friend...

Let me break down the current Washington ESD monetary requirements more clearly. For benefit year 2024, you need: 1) At least $8,775 in total base period wages, AND 2) Wages in at least two quarters of your base period, AND 3) Total wages in your base period must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings. The gap you mentioned shouldn't matter as long as you earned enough during your base period quarters.

UPDATE: I checked the calculator and I do qualify! My combined earnings from both jobs put me over the minimum. Filing my claim now.

For anyone else reading this - if you don't qualify for regular UI, you might qualify for other programs. Washington has extended benefits during high unemployment periods and there are sometimes federal programs available too.

The 4-month thing had me worried too when I got fired last year. But I'd been working at different places for over a year total so my base period earnings were fine. Washington ESD looks at the bigger picture, not just your most recent job.

THE WASHINGTON ESD SYSTEM IS SO CONFUSING!!! Why can't they just say "work X months to qualify" like normal people would understand? Instead it's all this base period quarter nonsense that makes no sense.

OP, you mentioned working 8 months at current job plus 2 years at previous job. Even with the 6 month gap, you should definitely have enough wages in your base period to qualify. The key is that Washington ESD doesn't care about gaps in employment, only about wages earned during specific quarters.

PROTIP: When you file, make sure your reason for separation is accurate. If your employer contests it, you might end up in adjudication for weeks waiting for a decision.

Just remember you have to do the job search requirements too once you start getting benefits. 3 job contacts per week minimum in Washington.

I was in a similar situation last year and qualified easily. Had worked 10 months, then unemployed for 4 months, then worked another year before getting laid off. Washington ESD approved my claim no problem. The monetary eligibility is usually not the hard part - it's staying eligible week to week that gets tricky with all the job search requirements.

Here's something that might help - Washington ESD has an online tool where you can estimate your potential benefit amount. If it gives you a number above zero, that usually means you meet the monetary requirements. Though I'd still recommend talking to an actual person to be sure.

I tried calling Washington ESD about eligibility questions and it was impossible to get through. Finally used Claimyr and got connected to an agent within minutes. They were able to pull up my wage history and confirm I qualified before I even filed. Definitely worth it to avoid the uncertainty.

honestly the whole washington esd system is confusing af but at least they don't require you to work somewhere for like a full year or anything crazy like that

One thing to watch out for - if you worked in multiple states, you might need to file in the state where you earned the most wages, not necessarily where you live now. Washington has interstate agreements but it can get complicated.

The earnings requirement isn't that high when you think about it. $5,265 over basically a year? That's like working part-time at minimum wage. Most people who work regularly will qualify.

Quick question - do tips count toward the earnings requirement if they were reported?

I'm in a similar boat but was working as a contractor for most of last year. I assume 1099 income doesn't count for regular unemployment?

Been there OP! The anxiety about whether you qualify is the worst part. Once you file and get approved it's much less stressful. Just stay on top of your weekly claims and job search requirements.

Pro tip: set up your Washington ESD account online ASAP even if you file by phone. You'll need it to submit weekly claims and check your payment status. The website can be glitchy but it's better than calling every time.

Glad this worked out for you! For anyone else worried about qualifying - don't let employers scare you into thinking you don't qualify. They sometimes say stuff like that to discourage claims, but Washington ESD makes the actual determination.

Washington's base period calculation can be confusing but there's also an alternate base period if you don't qualify under the standard one. It uses more recent quarters which can help if you just started working recently.

Don't forget that if you don't qualify under the regular base period, Washington ESD might use an alternate base period which looks at more recent quarters. So even if your initial calculation doesn't work out, you might still qualify.

just file and see what happens lol thats what i did

I work in HR and deal with Washington ESD stuff all the time. Based on what you described, you should definitely qualify. The 8 months at current job plus 2 years at previous job gives you way more than the minimum wage requirements, even with the gap. The base period calculation will use quarters when you were working at your previous job.

My sister went through this exact same situation - worked, had a gap, worked again, then filed for unemployment. She qualified without any issues. Washington ESD really just cares about whether you earned enough money during the right time periods, not about employment gaps.

One thing to remember is that even if you qualify monetarily, you still need to meet the other requirements like being unemployed through no fault of your own. But based on your post it sounds like you're covered there too.

I had a really similar work history and used Claimyr when I was unsure about qualifying. The agent was able to explain exactly how my base period wages would be calculated and confirmed I met all requirements. Made the whole process much less stressful knowing I qualified before filing.

Bottom line: You've worked way more than enough to qualify for Washington ESD benefits. The minimum requirements are pretty reasonable and you exceed them by a lot. File your claim and don't worry about it!