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Zoe Walker

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

I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment in Washington state. I've been working at my current job for about 8 months but before that I was unemployed for a while. Do I need to have worked a full year to get benefits? I'm confused about the work requirements and can't find a clear answer on the Washington ESD website.

In Washington state, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period to qualify for UI benefits. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim.

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What counts as enough wages though? Is there a minimum dollar amount?

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Yes, you need to have earned at least $3,850 in your base period, with at least $1,925 in your highest quarter. These amounts can change yearly so check the current requirements on the Washington ESD website.

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In Washington, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period to qualify for unemployment benefits. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim.

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What exactly is a quarter? Is that like 3 months?

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Yes, a quarter is a 3-month period. Q1 is Jan-Mar, Q2 is Apr-Jun, Q3 is Jul-Sep, and Q4 is Oct-Dec.

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You need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file now in 2025, they'd look at your earnings from Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. You also need to have earned at least $5,265 total in your base period.

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So it's not just about how long I worked but how much I made? That makes more sense I guess.

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Yeah and you also need to earn at least 680 hours worth of wages or earn wages in your highest quarter that are at least 1.25 times what you earned in your lowest quarter.

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In Washington, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period to qualify for unemployment benefits. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. It's not just about how long you worked, but how much you earned in those quarters.

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Thanks! So it's more about earnings than time worked? What's the minimum amount you need to earn?

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Yes, for 2025 you need at least $1,540 in your highest earning quarter and total wages of at least 1.5 times that amount during your entire base period. So minimum $2,310 total.

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In Washington, you need to have worked and earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. You also need to have earned at least $1,000 in your highest quarter.

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Thanks! So if I file in January 2025, my base period would be January 2024 through December 2024?

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Not quite - it would be October 2023 through September 2024. The base period doesn't include the most recent quarter because employers haven't reported those wages yet.

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In Washington state, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period to qualify for unemployment benefits. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. You also need to have earned at least $1,100 in your highest quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.25 times your highest quarter earnings.

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That sounds really confusing with all the quarters stuff. How do I figure out what my base period is exactly?

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If you file your claim today, your base period would be January 2024 through December 2024. Washington ESD will automatically calculate this when you apply - you just need to report all your employers from the last 18 months.

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In Washington, you need to have worked in at least two quarters during your base period and earned a minimum amount. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file your claim. You also need to have earned at least $3,850 total during your base period.

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What's a quarter exactly? Like 3 months?

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Yes, a quarter is 3 months. So Q1 is Jan-Mar, Q2 is Apr-Jun, Q3 is Jul-Sep, Q4 is Oct-Dec.

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You don't need a full year of work. Washington ESD looks at your base period which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. You need to have earned at least $1,000 in your base period and worked in at least 2 quarters.

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So if I file now in January 2025, they'd look at my earnings from January 2024 through September 2024?

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Exactly! And you need to have earned at least $1,000 total during that time period with work in at least 2 different quarters.

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In Washington, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period to qualify for unemployment benefits. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim.

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So it's not about how long you worked at one job, but about earning wages over multiple quarters? That's confusing.

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exactly, and you also need to meet the monetary requirements - minimum earnings in your highest quarter plus total base period earnings

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In Washington state, you need to have worked and earned wages during what's called your 'base period' which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. You also need to have earned at least $3,850 during your base period, with at least $1,540 in your highest earning quarter.

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That's confusing - so it's not just about how long you worked but how much you earned? What if you worked part-time for a longer period?

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Exactly right - it's earnings-based, not just time-based. Part-time work can still qualify you if you hit those wage thresholds across the base period quarters.

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You need to have worked in at least two quarters during your base period and earned a minimum amount. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file. So if you file now, they'd look at your earnings from about 15 months ago through 3 months ago.

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That's confusing. So they don't look at my current job at all? What if I just started working again after being unemployed?

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Right, they use the base period to calculate your benefits. Your current job earnings won't count until after you've worked a full quarter. The gap you mentioned might actually help since it means your earlier work history could still be in the base period.

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You need to have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. Washington ESD also requires you to have earned at least $3,850 total during your base period.

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Thanks! So it's not just about how long you worked but also how much you earned? I think I might be close to that amount.

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Yeah the earnings requirement changes every year too, so make sure you're looking at current numbers on the Washington ESD website.

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You need to have worked in at least two quarters during your base period and earned a minimum amount. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file your claim. You also need to have earned at least $1,095 in your highest quarter.

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

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Yes, a quarter is 3 months. Q1 is Jan-Mar, Q2 is Apr-Jun, Q3 is Jul-Sep, Q4 is Oct-Dec.

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In Washington, you need to have worked in at least two quarters during your base period (which is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file). You also need to have earned at least $3,400 in your highest quarter and total earnings of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings.

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That's helpful but I'm still confused about the quarters. How do they calculate which quarters count?

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Quarters are just 3-month periods - Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec. So if you file in December 2024, your base period would typically be July 2023 through June 2024.

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In Washington, you need to have worked in at least two of the last five quarters before filing your claim. It's not just about how long you worked, but also about earning enough wages during that time. You need to have earned at least $1,460 in your highest quarter.

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So quarters means like 3-month periods? I think I've only worked in maybe 3 quarters total if I count right.

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Yes, quarters are 3-month periods. Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec. If you've worked 8 months you should have wages in at least 2-3 quarters which could qualify you.

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i think its like 680 hours or something like that but im not sure

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No, Washington doesn't use hours worked - it's all based on wages earned. The 680 hours requirement is from a different state's system.

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oh ok my bad, got confused with where my friend lives

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i think you also need to have earned at least 680 in wages outside your highest quarter but im not 100% sure

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That's correct - you need at least $680 in wages outside your highest earning quarter. So it's not just about time worked, it's about how much you earned.

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Oh wow, so it's based on earnings not just hours worked? That makes more sense now.

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I had a similar situation when I first moved to Washington. What helped me was using Claimyr to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about my specific work history. They have this service at claimyr.com where they help you get through to an actual agent instead of waiting on hold forever. There's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than trying to guess if you qualify.

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That sounds helpful but is it legit? I don't want to get scammed trying to apply for unemployment.

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Yeah it's totally legitimate - they just help you get connected to Washington ESD faster. I was skeptical too but it actually worked and saved me hours of calling.

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I had the same question last year when I got laid off. The Washington ESD website has a calculator that can help you figure out if you qualify based on your work history. You just need your wage information from the past year and a half.

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Where exactly is that calculator on their website? I looked but couldn't find it.

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It's under the 'Unemployment Benefits' section, then look for 'Eligibility Calculator' or something similar. Sometimes their website is hard to navigate though.

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The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator that can help you estimate if you qualify and how much you might get. But honestly, even if you think you might not qualify, it's worth applying anyway because the worst they can say is no.

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Good point, I'll check out that calculator. Do you know if having gaps in employment affects eligibility?

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Gaps don't matter as long as you have enough wages in your base period. It's all about the earnings, not continuous employment.

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In Washington, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period to qualify for unemployment benefits. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file your claim. So it's not just about how long you worked at one job, but your total earnings over that time period.

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What counts as enough wages though? Is there a minimum dollar amount I need to have earned?

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Yes, you need to have earned at least $1,005 in your highest earning quarter during the base period. Plus your total base period wages need to be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings.

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You don't need a full year. Washington ESD looks at your base period which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters. You need at least 680 hours of work during your base period and wages in 2 different quarters to qualify for regular unemployment benefits.

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Thanks! So it's based on quarters not just continuous employment? That makes more sense.

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Wait, what if you haven't worked 680 hours? Are there any alternatives?

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In Washington, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period, which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. The minimum is usually around $1,005 in your highest quarter and total wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter wages.

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Thanks! So it's not just about how long you worked but how much you earned? That makes more sense.

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Yeah the quarters thing confused me too when I first filed. It's not about continuous employment, it's about having enough wages spread across the right time periods.

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You need to have worked and earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period to qualify for Washington unemployment benefits. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file your claim. You also need to have earned at least $3,800 in your highest quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings.

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What exactly is a quarter? Is that like 3 months?

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Yes, a quarter is 3 months. Q1 is January-March, Q2 is April-June, Q3 is July-September, and Q4 is October-December.

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The work requirement isn't based on time worked, it's based on wages earned. You need to have earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period, which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. The minimum is usually around $3,000 in your highest quarter.

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Wait so it's about money not time? That's confusing. How do I know if I earned enough?

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Right, it's wage-based. You can check your quarterly wage reports on the Washington ESD website or look at your pay stubs to calculate if you've earned enough in any single quarter.

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The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator that can help you figure out if you qualify. You'll need your pay stubs or W-2s to get an accurate estimate of your potential weekly benefit amount.

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I'll check that out, thank you!

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That calculator is pretty helpful but sometimes it's hard to get through to verify everything with an actual person at Washington ESD.

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you also need to have earned at least $1,500 total during your base period AND at least $1,500 in your highest earning quarter. so its not just about time worked but how much you made

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Oh wow, I didn't know there was a money requirement too. That's good to know.

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You need to meet Washington's base period requirements. Generally, you need wages in at least two quarters of your base period and earn at least $4,200 total during that time. Your base period is typically the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file your claim.

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What exactly counts as a quarter? Is that like every 3 months?

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Yes, quarters are January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December. Washington ESD looks at your earnings in those specific periods.

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I think theres also a requirement about earning a certain amount in your highest quarter too, not just the total. Something like you need to earn at least 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount in one quarter?

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You're close! You need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period, and the total wages must be at least 1.5 times the wages in your highest quarter.

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ok thanks for clarifying that, the requirements are so confusing

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You don't need to work a full year. Washington ESD looks at your base period which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. You need to have earned at least $1,685 during your base period AND earned wages in at least 680 hours of work. So 8 months of steady work should definitely qualify you if you were working decent hours.

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Oh that makes sense! So they look at quarters not just consecutive months of work?

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Exactly. It's based on calendar quarters - Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec. As long as you meet the wage and hour requirements across those quarters you should be good.

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If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to get your questions answered, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me hours of trying to call.

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How does that work exactly? Do they call for you or something?

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They basically handle the waiting and callback process so you don't have to sit on hold. Pretty straightforward and way less frustrating than calling yourself.

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In Washington, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So it's not just about how long you worked, but also when you worked and how much you earned.

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Thanks! What's the minimum amount you need to earn? I was making about $15/hour part-time.

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You need to have earned at least $1,005 in your highest quarter and total wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter amount. So if your highest quarter was $1,500, you'd need at least $2,250 total in your base period.

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In Washington, you need to have worked and earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period (which is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file). The minimum is typically around $3,700 in your highest earning quarter and total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your high quarter earnings.

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That sounds complicated. How do I figure out what my base period is? And what if I only worked part-time?

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Part-time work counts! Your base period is just the timeframe they look at for your earnings. If you file in January 2025, they'd typically look at wages from April 2023 through March 2024. Washington ESD has a calculator on their website.

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The work history requirements can be confusing. Washington ESD looks at your earnings over a specific time period, not just continuous employment. Even if you had gaps between jobs, your previous wages still count toward your base period as long as they fall within that timeframe.

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This is so confusing! I've been trying to figure this out for weeks. When I called Washington ESD the wait times were insane and I kept getting disconnected.

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I had the same problem trying to reach them by phone. I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made it so much easier to get my questions answered.

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The 680 hours is the minimum but you also need to have earned at least $3,850 during your base period. If you don't meet the regular base period requirements, Washington ESD might use an alternate base period which looks at the last 4 completed quarters instead.

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This is so confusing with all the quarters and base periods. I wish they made it simpler.

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I know it seems complicated but once you understand it, it's pretty straightforward. The key is making sure you have enough work history spread across multiple quarters.

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There's also the alternate base period if you don't qualify under the regular one. That uses the last four completed quarters instead. Sometimes that helps if you started working more recently.

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Oh that's good to know! How do I know which base period they'll use for my claim?

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Washington ESD automatically checks both when you apply. They'll use whichever one gives you a valid claim if you qualify under either.

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i think its different for everyone depending on when you file and stuff. i had to work like a year before i could get anything but that was back in 2022

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The requirements haven't changed much. It's still the same two-quarter rule and the $1,000 minimum in your highest quarter. Your situation might have been different for other reasons.

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There's also an alternate base period if you don't qualify under the regular one. Washington ESD will automatically check the last 4 completed quarters if your regular base period doesn't work. I had to use that when I filed last year.

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That's good to know! So they'll try both ways to see if I qualify?

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