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

In Washington, unemployment eligibility isn't based on how long you worked for your most recent employer. It's based on your total earnings during what's called the 'base period' - typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. You need to have earned at least $1,000 in your base period and meet other wage requirements.

wait I thought you had to work somewhere for like 6 months or a year to get benefits? this is confusing

I was in a similar situation last year - kept getting the runaround when I called Washington ESD to check my wage history. Could never get through to anyone to verify my base period earnings. Super frustrating when you're trying to plan ahead like this.

The specific requirement is that you need to have earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period, with total base period wages of at least $1,000. Plus, your wages in your highest quarter must be at least 1.5 times your wages in your lowest quarter. It's more complex than just time worked.

ugh the Washington ESD system is so confusing!! I filed for unemployment 3 times and kept getting denied because I didn't understand the wage requirements. Finally figured out my base period didn't have enough earnings from my part-time job.

Also important to note - if you quit your job, you typically won't qualify for unemployment unless you have 'good cause' as defined by Washington ESD. But if you're laid off due to budget cuts like you mentioned, that would be considered involuntary separation and you'd likely qualify if you meet the wage requirements.

I went through this exact same worry when I was on a temporary contract. Turns out I qualified even though I'd only been at that specific job for 6 weeks because of my previous work history. The Washington ESD eligibility is really about your overall work pattern, not individual job duration.

The Washington ESD website has a benefits calculator that can help you estimate if you qualify and how much you might receive. It's under the 'Estimate Your Benefits' section. Might be worth checking out to ease your mind.

One thing to keep in mind - if you do get laid off, you'll need to be actively looking for work and document your job search activities. Washington ESD requires you to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log of your activities.

Don't stress too much about this ahead of time. If you do get laid off, just file your claim right away and Washington ESD will determine your eligibility based on your actual wage history. They'll let you know if you qualify and what your weekly benefit amount would be.

I was laid off after working somewhere for just 3 months and still qualified for unemployment. Had to deal with some adjudication issues though because they wanted to verify my separation reason. Took forever to get through to anyone to explain the situation.

Quick question - does seasonal work count toward the base period calculations? I worked at a retail job during the holidays before my current position.

The Washington ESD system can be really confusing but once you understand how the base period works, it makes more sense. I actually ended up qualifying for more benefits than I expected because of an old job I'd forgotten about.

Just remember that unemployment is insurance you and your employers have been paying into. Don't feel bad about using it if you need it - that's what it's there for!

For anyone else reading this thread - if you're worried about eligibility, you can always file a claim and let Washington ESD make the determination. There's no penalty for filing if you don't qualify, they'll just deny the claim.