How long does an employee have to work to get unemployment in Washington?

Thanks! What's considered enough wages though? Is there a minimum dollar amount?

Yes, you need to have earned at least $1,650 in your highest quarter and total wages of at least 1.25 times your high quarter wages during your entire base period.

That's not quite right. Washington ESD goes by wages earned, not hours worked. The hours requirement is for job search activities after you start receiving benefits.

oh ok my bad, got confused with the weekly job search stuff

That sounds helpful! Do you remember where on their site the calculator is?

It should be on the main Washington ESD website under the unemployment benefits section. You can also call them directly but good luck getting through - I was on hold for hours.

Actually, if you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an agent much faster. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

I get the frustration, but they use quarters because people's income can vary so much. Someone might work full-time for 3 months and earn more than someone working part-time for 6 months.

i guess that makes sense but still annoying when youre trying to figure out if you qualify

This is really helpful, thank you! I think I might actually qualify then. My highest quarter was around $3,200 and I've probably earned close to $4,500 total.

Make sure you have all your wage records before you apply. Washington ESD will verify everything anyway but it speeds up the process.

If there are wage discrepancies, you can provide your own wage records like pay stubs or W-2s to Washington ESD. They'll investigate and correct the records if needed.

Good to know, thanks! I was worried I'd be stuck if their records were wrong.

All my jobs have been regular W-2 employment so I think I'm good on that front.

Yeah, if you got W-2s then you should be fine. It's the 1099 contractor work that usually doesn't count.

That's reassuring! I've been working pretty consistently for the past year and a half, just at different places.

That's exactly the kind of situation where the quarters system works in your favor. Multiple jobs can add up to meet the requirements.

Good point! Though keep in mind that if you're unemployed, you generally want to file as soon as possible since benefits don't backdate to when you became unemployed, only to when you filed.

true, its a balancing act. better to file and find out than wait too long

The basic wage requirements are the same for seasonal workers, but there might be some special considerations. You should definitely talk to Washington ESD about your specific situation.

I do seasonal work too and qualified for benefits during my off-season. As long as you meet the wage requirements it should work out.

Same here! Thanks everyone for the helpful info.

Good luck with your applications! The sooner you file, the sooner you can start receiving benefits if you qualify.

Absolutely! I got denied at first because they were missing wages from one of my employers. After I provided the missing information, my claim was approved.

Good to know there's an appeals process if something goes wrong.

What's the difference between those two base periods?

The regular base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters. The alternate base period is the last 4 completed quarters. So it includes more recent work.

Was it worth it? I've been trying to call for weeks about my claim status.

Definitely worth it for me. The agent was able to review my wage history and confirm I qualified before I even submitted my application.

Great advice! I'll make sure to keep everything organized before I apply.

Yeah, having your ducks in a row from the start can prevent delays later on.

Thanks for breaking it down simply! The 25% more part is what I was missing.

This helps a lot. I think I definitely meet these requirements based on my work history.

Right, and you have to do at least 3 job search activities per week and log them in WorkSourceWA.

Good point about the ongoing requirements. I'll make sure I understand all of that before I apply.

Agreed! Though this thread has been really helpful for understanding the details.

At least there are resources like this forum and services like Claimyr to help people navigate the system when the official resources aren't clear enough.

You're right. I've been overthinking this. I'm going to apply this week and see what happens.

That's the spirit! Better to try and know than to wonder forever.