How long does it take for unemployment to get approved in Washington ESD?

From what I've seen, it usually takes Washington ESD about 2-3 weeks to process initial claims if there are no complications. The 'pending' status is normal - they're just verifying your employment history and eligibility. You should keep filing your weekly claims even while it's pending.

Mine took exactly 3 weeks last year. Washington ESD is pretty backed up most of the time. Just keep filing your weekly claims and checking your account on SecureAccess Washington.

The timeline really depends on your specific situation. If you had multiple employers or there are any questions about why you left your job, it could go into adjudication which takes much longer - sometimes 4-6 weeks or more.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get connected to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. It was super helpful when I needed to talk to someone about my pending claim.

Washington ESD's processing times are a joke. I've been waiting 5 weeks for mine to get approved and every time I call they just say 'it's still being reviewed.' Meanwhile my bills keep piling up.

Just went through this process myself. Filed on a Monday and got approved exactly 18 days later. The key is to make sure you file your weekly claims every week even while it's pending - that way you get back pay for those weeks once approved.

The worst part is not knowing if there's a problem or if it's just normal processing time. Washington ESD could really improve their communication about where claims stand in the process.

I work in HR and from what I understand, Washington ESD has to verify employment with all your recent employers before approving benefits. If any of those employers are slow to respond, it can delay the whole process.

Mine got approved in 2 weeks exactly, but I think I got lucky. A friend of mine waited almost 6 weeks because there was some confusion about her start date at her last job.

Pro tip: check your Washington ESD account every morning around 8am. That's when they seem to update claim statuses most often. I noticed my approval showed up first thing in the morning.

Don't stress too much about the 10 days. I've filed unemployment twice and both times it took right around 3 weeks. Washington ESD is slow but they do eventually get through all the claims.

If you really need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your claim, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier actually works. I used it last month when my claim was taking forever and got through to an agent who could see exactly where my claim was in the process.

2-3 weeks is pretty standard but I've seen it take longer during busy periods. Summer and around holidays seem to slow things down at Washington ESD.

Whatever you do, don't stop filing your weekly claims! My cousin made that mistake thinking she'd wait until her initial claim was approved and lost out on 3 weeks of benefits.

The waiting is definitely the hardest part. Try to stay busy with job searching and other activities so you're not constantly checking your account status.

Just to add another data point - mine took exactly 17 days from filing to approval. Straightforward layoff situation, no complications. Keep your chin up, you're probably close!