How long do you have to work at a job to receive unemployment in Washington state?

What exactly counts as a quarter? Is that just 3 months?

Yes, quarters are Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, and Oct-Dec. Washington ESD looks at your wages during those periods.

You're close! It's actually 680 hours OR you need to earn at least 1.25 times your highest quarter wages. So if you made $4,000 in your best quarter, you'd need $5,000 total in the base period.

thanks for clarifying that, the washington esd rules are confusing

Oh man, the phone situation with Washington ESD is brutal. I found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Really? How does that work exactly? Is it legit?

Yeah it's totally legit. You go to claimyr.com and they basically keep calling Washington ESD for you until they get through, then connect you to the agent. Way better than sitting there hitting redial all day.

How do I get my wage history? Is that something I can do online?

Yes, you can log into your Washington ESD account and view your quarterly wage reports. It'll show exactly what employers reported for you.

I was laid off due to budget cuts so that shouldn't be an issue for me.

sounds like you should be good then as long as you meet the wage requirements

What does 'able and available' actually mean? I keep seeing that term.

It means you're physically able to work, not restricted by health issues, and actively looking for work. You also can't have scheduling restrictions that would prevent you from accepting suitable work.

Got it, thanks for explaining that clearly.

That's reassuring. Did you have any trouble with the application process?

The application itself was pretty straightforward online, but I had questions about my eligibility that took forever to get answered by phone. Definitely use that Claimyr service if you need to talk to someone - wish I had known about it then.

How do you request the alternate base period? Do they do it automatically?

They'll usually check it automatically if you don't qualify under the regular base period, but you can also request it specifically when you apply.

Because then someone who worked part-time for 6 months making $200 total would get the same benefits as someone who worked full-time making $20,000. The wage requirements make sure you actually contributed enough to the system.

i guess that makes sense when you put it that way

What's the maximum weekly benefit in Washington right now?

I believe it's around $999 per week for 2025, but don't quote me on that exact number. The Washington ESD website has the current rates.

How many job contacts do you need to make each week?

It varies but usually at least 3 job search activities per week. Could be applications, networking events, interviews, etc. You have to log them in WorkSourceWA.

How long did it take to get the phone interview scheduled?

About a week. They called me at the time they said they would, which was nice. The whole thing took maybe 15 minutes.

That's a good point. I think I'll go ahead and apply since I'm pretty sure I meet the requirements based on what everyone has said here.

Good luck! Hope it goes smoothly for you.

What do you mean by waiting week? Do you not get paid for the first week?

Exactly. The first week of your claim is a waiting week where you don't receive payment, but you still have to file your weekly claim to establish your eligibility.

Is there a cost for using Claimyr?

There is a fee but honestly it was worth it to avoid spending days trying to get through on my own. Check out their site at claimyr.com for details.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. I feel much more confident about applying now.

You're welcome! Feel free to post here if you run into any issues during the application process.