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

It's not about how long you worked at your current job, it's about your total earnings in what they call the 'base period.' Washington ESD looks at the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file your claim. You need to have earned at least $1,005 in your highest quarter AND have total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter earnings.

The quarters thing is confusing but basically if you've been working steadily for about 6 months you should be good. I qualified after working for 4 months because I had earnings from a previous job too.

Just went through this myself - had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify my work history. If you need to talk to someone about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals.

there's also something called alternate base period if you don't qualify under the regular one but i dont know much about it

I think you also have to have worked in at least 2 different quarters during your base period, not just one. And obviously you need to be unemployed through no fault of your own - so getting fired for cause or quitting without good reason would disqualify you.

The Washington ESD system is so confusing. I've been working for 2 years and I STILL don't understand how they calculate the base period quarters. Why can't they just say 'you need X months of work' like a normal person would understand?

Also remember that even if you qualify initially, you have to meet ongoing requirements like registering with WorkSource, doing job searches, and filing your weekly claims on time. The work requirement is just the first hurdle.

If you're really worried about this stuff you should create an account on the Washington ESD website now while you're still employed. That way if something happens you'll already be set up and can file right away.

One thing to keep in mind - if you do get laid off, file your claim as soon as possible. There's a waiting week so you won't get paid for the first week anyway, but you want to get the process started immediately.

The wage requirements seem pretty reasonable honestly. If you've been working steadily for even just a few months you should qualify. It's designed to help people who lose their jobs, not people who barely worked at all.

I had to use Claimyr too when I was trying to figure out my base period wages. Washington ESD's automated system kept hanging up on me and the website calculator didn't match what they were showing in my account. The representative was able to explain exactly which quarters they were using and why.

PSA for anyone reading this: keep your pay stubs and W-2s! If there's ever a discrepancy in your wage history you'll need those documents to prove your earnings.

The whole system is designed to make it as hard as possible to get benefits. They hope people will just give up and not file claims.

Bottom line for OP: if you've been working for 3 months and had another job before that, you'll probably qualify. The exact calculation depends on your specific wage history but most people who've been working steadily meet the requirements.

One more thing - if you do end up filing, make sure you understand the difference between being laid off and being fired. It matters for your eligibility and they will investigate if there's any question about the circumstances.