How long do you have to have a job to get unemployment benefits in Washington?

So it's not about how long I've been at my current job specifically? They look at my total earnings over that whole period?

Exactly right. As long as you met the wage requirements across those quarters, you should qualify. Your current job length doesn't matter as much as your total base period wages.

Your friend might be thinking of job protection laws or something else. For Washington ESD unemployment, it's all about the wage requirements in your base period, not how long you stayed at one specific job.

oh ok that makes more sense. thanks for clearing that up

How did you finally get through to file? I keep hearing horror stories about people waiting on hold for hours.

I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me probably 20+ hours of calling.

That sounds too good to be true honestly. How much does something like that cost?

I feel your pain. The frustration is real when you're trying to sort out something this important.

Have you tried calling right when they open at 8am? Sometimes that helps.

What happens if I barely miss the wage requirement? Like what if I only earned $1,600 in my base period?

Then you wouldn't qualify for regular unemployment benefits. But you might want to check if the alternate base period helps - sometimes recent wages can push you over the threshold.

This is why I always tell people to keep track of their quarterly wages. Makes it so much easier to figure out eligibility.

No, Washington ESD only counts wages that were reported to them by employers. If taxes weren't taken out and it wasn't reported, it won't show up in their system.

well that sucks. guess i should have insisted on being paid properly

That's reassuring to hear. I think I should be okay then since I made decent wages at my current job.

Yeah you should be fine. Just make sure you file as soon as you're unemployed - benefits don't backdate to before you file your claim.

Yes, seasonal work counts exactly the same as regular employment for base period wage calculations. As long as taxes were withheld and it was reported to Washington ESD, it counts.

Perfect, thanks! That should definitely help my numbers then.

I'm definitely going to look into that if I need to call Washington ESD. The phone situation sounds absolutely miserable.

At this point I'd pay anything to actually talk to a human being at Washington ESD. Going to check out that website.

Part-time work absolutely counts! It's all about your total wages during the base period, not whether you worked full-time or part-time. Many people qualify for unemployment with part-time wages.

ok cool i was worried about that. thanks

Yeah but remember that's just the minimum to qualify. Your actual benefit amount depends on how much you earned, so higher wages mean higher benefits.

Good point. I guess meeting the minimum and getting a decent benefit amount are two different things.

The wage requirements stay the same regardless of how you became unemployed. But if you quit without good cause, you might face a disqualification even if you meet the wage requirements. Getting laid off is usually much cleaner for unemployment eligibility.

That makes sense. I'm hoping to avoid quitting if possible, but good to know the wage stuff doesn't change.

Oh that's really helpful! I didn't know you could check that online. I'll definitely look into setting up an account.

Yeah it's super convenient. Shows all your quarterly wages from employers who reported to Washington state. Makes it easy to calculate if you meet the requirements.

That's smart thinking. Though I guess you'd want to be careful about timing if you're actually getting laid off.

Exactly - it only works if you have control over when you separate from employment. If you're getting laid off, you file when it happens regardless.

Same here! I feel much better about my situation now. Thanks everyone for the detailed explanations.

That's what this community is for. We've all been through the Washington ESD process and know how confusing it can be.

Right, I've heard about the job search requirements. Do you have to apply to a certain number of jobs each week?

In Washington, you need to make at least 3 job search activities per week and keep a log. There are specific requirements about what counts as a valid job search activity.

Yeah I think I'm in good shape. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this stuff. Hopefully I won't need to use this information, but it's good to know!

Hope everything works out for you! And if you do need to call Washington ESD, definitely check out that Claimyr service people mentioned. Sounds like it could save a lot of headaches.