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

In Washington, you need to have worked and earned wages during your base period to qualify for unemployment benefits. The base period is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. You need to have earned at least $1,685 in your highest quarter during the base period, plus wages in at least one other quarter totaling at least $1,685. It's not really about how long you worked, but about how much you earned.

The wage requirements can be confusing but your nephew might qualify if he's been working consistently for 8 months. Washington ESD also has an alternate base period if you don't qualify under the standard one - they'll look at the last 4 completed quarters instead of the first 4 of the last 5. Sometimes that helps people who recently started working.

I had to call Washington ESD so many times trying to figure out my base period calculations when I first applied. Their phone system is absolutely terrible - I'd spend hours on hold just to get hung up on. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at Washington ESD. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration dealing with their call center.

Make sure he has all his wage information from every employer during his base period. Washington ESD should have most of it from employer reporting, but sometimes there are gaps or errors. Better to have pay stubs or W-2s ready when he applies.

ugh the whole base period thing is so confusing!! when i applied i had no idea what quarters they were talking about and just kept guessing on the application. somehow it worked out but i was stressed the whole time thinking i messed something up

Has he been laid off or quit? That matters too for Washington ESD eligibility. If he quit without good cause or was fired for misconduct, he might not qualify even if he meets the wage requirements.

The Washington ESD website has a tool where you can check if you qualify before you even apply. Might be worth having him try that first - it asks about your wages and work history and gives you an estimate.

Washington state is actually pretty generous with unemployment compared to some other states. 8 months of steady part-time work should definitely put him over the wage thresholds. The key is making sure he was working in covered employment - most regular jobs are covered but some types of work aren't.

Just want to echo what others said about the wage requirements vs time worked. I worked full-time for only 4 months at a high-paying job and qualified, while my friend worked part-time for over a year at minimum wage and didn't meet the threshold. It really is all about the dollar amounts you earned.

Pro tip: if he doesn't qualify under the standard base period, the alternate base period might help. I've seen people who started working recently get approved using the alternate period when the standard one didn't work. Worth knowing about if his earlier jobs were really short.

Washington ESD is pretty backed up with claims processing lately. Even if he qualifies, expect some delays if he ever needs to file. I had to use that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier just to check on my claim status because I couldn't get through their regular phone lines.

i think the current wage requirement is like $1685 in your highest quarter plus at least that much total in other quarters but double check that because i might be remembering wrong

One thing to keep in mind is that Washington ESD will verify all the wage information with employers, so there's no point in trying to fudge numbers. They have access to all the employment records through their computer systems. Better to be honest and let the chips fall where they may.

Has anyone mentioned that he needs to be actively looking for work once he starts collecting? Washington has pretty strict job search requirements - I think it's 3 job contacts per week minimum. Just something to keep in mind for the future.

Bottom line is 8 months of part-time work at 20-25 hours per week should easily meet the wage requirements if he's making at least minimum wage. Washington's thresholds aren't that high compared to what most people earn. The bigger question would be the reason for separation from work when the time comes.

Make sure he knows that if he ever does file, he should do it online through the Washington ESD website rather than trying to call. The online system works much better than their phone system, and you can upload documents electronically which speeds things up.