How long does unemployment take to be approved in Washington ESD?

Usually takes about 2-3 weeks for Washington ESD to process a standard unemployment claim if there are no issues. Since you were laid off due to downsizing, that should be pretty straightforward. The delay is usually just due to their processing volume.

Keep in mind that if Washington ESD has any questions about your separation or needs to verify information with your employer, it can take much longer. They might put your claim into adjudication which can add several more weeks to the process.

I had a similar situation last month - my claim was stuck in processing for over 3 weeks with no updates. I was getting frustrated trying to call Washington ESD because their phone lines are always busy. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual person. They have this demo video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was holding up my claim.

The waiting is the worst part! I'm on week 4 of waiting for my claim to be approved. Washington ESD says they're processing claims in the order received but it feels like forever when you're waiting for money to pay bills.

just keep checking your online account every few days. sometimes the status changes without them sending you an email notification

One thing to remember is that once your claim is approved, you'll get paid for all the weeks you were eligible, including the waiting period. So even if it takes 3-4 weeks to get approved, you won't lose out on those benefits as long as you've been filing your weekly claims.

The Washington ESD website says they aim to process claims within 21 days, but with high volumes it can take longer. I think they're still dealing with backlogs from all the people who filed during the pandemic recovery period.

If you're really concerned about the timeline, you could try calling Washington ESD directly. The number is on their website. Fair warning though - you'll probably be on hold for a really long time if you even get through.

WASHINGTON ESD IS THE WORST. I've been waiting 5 weeks now and still nothing. Their system is completely broken and they don't care about people who need help.

My experience was pretty smooth actually. Filed on a Tuesday, got approved the following Friday. I think it depends on how busy they are when you file and whether there are any complications with your case.

Make sure you have all your documents ready just in case. Sometimes Washington ESD will suddenly ask for additional verification and if you don't respond quickly it can delay your claim even more.

The job search requirement is important too. You need to be actively looking for work and keeping records of your job search activities. This doesn't delay your initial approval but it's required for ongoing benefits.

just wanted to say hang in there. the waiting is stressful but most people do get approved eventually. try not to worry too much about the timeline

One more thing - make sure you're checking your SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account regularly. Sometimes Washington ESD will send messages through that system that you need to respond to, and missing those can delay your claim significantly.

My friend used that Claimyr service too and said it was really helpful. She was able to get answers about her claim status that she couldn't get any other way. Might be worth trying if you're getting anxious about the wait.

Remember that Washington ESD can backdate your benefits to when you first became unemployed, so even if approval takes a while, you should still get paid for all the weeks you were eligible. The key is making sure you file those weekly claims.

The average seems to be about 2-3 weeks for straightforward cases. If you hit the 4 week mark with no communication, that's when I'd really start pushing for answers from Washington ESD.

Update us when you hear back! Always curious to hear how long it actually takes for people. Seems like there's a lot of variation in processing times.

If you do end up needing to call Washington ESD and want to avoid the hassle, I'd definitely recommend trying Claimyr. I was skeptical at first but it really saved me time and frustration when I needed to get through to them about my claim.