How long do you have to be working at a job to get unemployment in Washington?

That's confusing - what exactly counts as a quarter? Like January through March?

Yes exactly. Q1 is January-March, Q2 is April-June, Q3 is July-September, and Q4 is October-December. Washington ESD looks at your wages from all employers during those quarters.

You're close! For 2025, you need to have earned at least $1,134 in your highest earning quarter during the base period. Plus your total base period wages need to be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings.

Okay so if I made $3000 in my best quarter, I'd need at least $4500 total during the whole base period?

Exactly right! And it sounds like with your previous job plus 4 months at the current one, you should meet the requirements assuming you're earning decent wages.

That's such a relief! I was worried the gap would disqualify me completely.

Yeah gaps don't hurt eligibility but they might ask about it during the application process to make sure you weren't working under the table or something.

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true with how impossible it is to reach anyone at Washington ESD.

I was skeptical too but it actually worked. They basically call for you and get you connected to a live agent. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get hung up on.

Anything is better than that awful phone system. I've tried calling at 8am sharp and still couldn't get through.

Good point. I assume I'd need to apply for jobs every week and report that to Washington ESD?

Yes, you need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a detailed log. You can do it through WorkSourceWA or keep your own records, but Washington ESD can audit you at any time.

How soon should I file after getting laid off?

file the sunday after your last day of work. dont wait because benefits dont backdate to when you became unemployed, only to when you filed

This is important! I waited 2 weeks to file thinking I'd find another job quickly and lost out on 2 weeks of benefits.

Thanks! I'll check that out to get a better idea of where I stand.

That calculator is pretty accurate. Helped me figure out if it was even worth applying before I went through the whole process.

I know right? And then they wonder why people make mistakes on their applications and get overpayment notices later.

It seems complicated but it's actually designed to be fair - it looks at your work history over time rather than just your most recent job. Protects people who might have had a bad month or two.

What's the alternate base period exactly?

It's the last four completed quarters instead of the first four of the last five. So it includes more recent earnings that might not show up in the regular calculation.

This saved me when I was in a similar situation! My recent job put me over the wage threshold when the alternate base period was used.

Wait, so even if I'm approved I don't get paid for the first week??

Correct - it's like a deductible. You serve one waiting week per benefit year. But make sure you still file that first weekly claim or it messes up your whole claim.

It's definitely layoffs due to budget cuts, not performance issues. Should be fine on that front.

Good, that makes it much easier. Layoffs due to lack of work rarely get denied unless there are other issues.

How long does adjudication usually take?

Mine took 6 weeks but I've heard some people wait 8-10 weeks. It's ridiculous how long they take to review simple cases.

This is why I'm dreading having to file. The stress of not knowing when you'll get approved is almost worse than being unemployed.

Great advice! I'll definitely ask for that if it happens.

Yes! My employer provided this automatically when they did layoffs and it definitely helped. My claim was approved within 2 weeks.

Thanks, that's reassuring! I'm just trying to be prepared in case the worst happens.

Smart thinking. Having a plan always helps reduce the stress if you do end up needing to file.

This whole thread has been super helpful. I feel much more confident about where I stand now. Thanks everyone!

Glad we could help! Hope you don't need to use any of this information but good to be prepared.