How long does an employee have to work for a company to get Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

It's not about how long you worked at one specific company - Washington ESD looks at your total earnings over what they call the 'base period.' You need to have earned at least $3,850 during your base period AND have worked in at least two quarters. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file your claim.

yeah my friend only worked 2 months at her last job but she qualified because she had worked at another place earlier in the year

I went through this exact situation last year. Even though I'd only been at my last job for 6 weeks when I got laid off, I was able to get benefits because of my work history from earlier jobs. The hardest part was actually getting through to someone at Washington ESD to check my claim status - I must have called hundreds of times with no luck. Eventually I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

The monetary requirements can be confusing but here's what you need for Washington: At least $3,850 in total wages during your base period, wages in at least 2 quarters of the base period, and your total base period wages must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter. There's also an alternative base period if you don't qualify under the standard one.

Wait I'm confused about the quarters thing. If I worked January through March at one job and then April through June at another job, that's two quarters right?

This is really helpful everyone. My cousin should definitely apply then since she's worked other jobs this year. How long does the application process usually take?

Does anyone know if temporary or contract work counts toward the work requirements? I did a lot of temp jobs last year.

The Washington ESD system is so frustrating to navigate. I spent weeks trying to get answers about my base period calculation and couldn't reach anyone by phone.

One thing to mention - even if you meet the monetary requirements, you still have to meet the non-monetary requirements too. You have to be able and available for work, actively seeking work, and your separation from employment has to be through no fault of your own.

I think there might be some exceptions for certain types of workers too? Like maybe different rules for seasonal workers or something?

Just want to echo what others said - the key is total earnings over the base period, not how long you worked at any one job. I qualified even though my longest job was only 4 months because I had several shorter jobs that year.

Make sure she has all her employment information ready when she applies - employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation. Having everything organized will make the application process smoother.

Also worth mentioning that if she doesn't qualify under the regular base period, Washington ESD will automatically check the alternative base period. So she doesn't need to worry about that part.

The application is online at esd.wa.gov and it's pretty straightforward. Just be honest about everything and provide accurate information about all your employers during the base period.

One last thing - if she gets stuck or has questions during the process, try calling early in the morning or right at lunch time. Those seem to be the best times to get through to Washington ESD.

Hope it works out for your cousin! The unemployment system can be overwhelming but once you understand the requirements it's not too bad.