How long do you have to work for a company to get unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

It's not about how long you worked at one company, it's about your total earnings during what they call the 'base period.' For Washington ESD, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period and meet minimum wage requirements.

I had this same question when I got laid off last year. You need to have earned at least $3,325 during your base period AND have worked in at least two different quarters. Plus you need to have earned at least $405 in your highest-earning quarter. Eight months should be plenty if you were working full time.

Just to be completely clear on the Washington ESD requirements: you need $3,325 in total wages during your base period, wages in at least 2 quarters, and your highest quarter needs to be at least $405. There's no minimum time requirement with one employer. I've seen people qualify with just a few months of work if they earned enough.

When I tried to file my claim online, the Washington ESD system kept timing out and I couldn't get through on the phone. Spent literally 3 hours trying to call and got disconnected every time. Has anyone found a way to actually reach someone at ESD?

Your friend was wrong about needing a year. I qualified after working only 4 months at my job because I had worked at other places during my base period. It's all about total earnings, not time at one specific company.

Don't forget you also have to be able and available for work and actively seeking employment. The wage requirements are just the first step. You'll need to file weekly claims and do job searches.

The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator where you can estimate if you qualify and how much you'd get. Might be worth checking that out before you file.

Make sure you file as soon as possible after your last day of work. There's no waiting period in Washington but benefits are only paid from the date you file, not retroactively.

One more thing - if you don't meet the regular requirements, Washington has an alternate base period they can use. It's the last four completed quarters instead of the first four of the last five. Sometimes people qualify under that when they don't under the regular base period.

i worked for 3 months and got unemployment so 8 months should be fine. just make sure you earned enough money during the base period

The earnings requirement is what trips people up, not the time requirement. I've seen people work for 2 years but not qualify because they were part-time and didn't earn enough. You made good money so you should be set.

Update: I tried that Claimyr service and it actually worked! Got through to Washington ESD in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed I qualified and helped me resolve an issue with my weekly claim. Worth every penny.

Washington ESD has really improved their online system lately. I was able to file my claim and get approved without any phone calls. The key is having all your employment info ready before you start.

Don't overthink it. If you worked 8 months full time and got laid off, you almost certainly qualify. Just file your claim and let Washington ESD determine your eligibility. They'll tell you if there are any issues.

Remember that even if you qualify, there might be a waiting period for your first payment while they verify your information. Don't panic if you don't get paid immediately after filing.

I'm in a similar situation - worked 6 months at my last job but had other work before that. Sounds like we both should qualify based on what everyone's saying here.

Just want to add that if you have any questions after filing, don't hesitate to call Washington ESD. They're there to help and it's better to ask than to make assumptions that could affect your benefits.

One last tip - keep records of everything. Save all your correspondence with Washington ESD, keep track of your job search activities, and document any issues you encounter. It can be really helpful if there are problems later.

This has been a really informative thread. I learned a lot about the Washington ESD requirements that I didn't know before. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Good luck with your claim! Sounds like you should have no problems qualifying. The hardest part is usually just navigating the system and getting through to someone when you need help.