How long does unemployment take to get approved in Washington - still waiting after 2 weeks

Thanks for the info. Should I be doing anything while I wait or just sit tight?

Make sure you're filing your weekly claims even while the initial claim is pending. That's important - you can't get paid for weeks you don't claim.

OMG yes the phone situation is ridiculous! I tried calling like 50 times and never got through to a human.

Actually, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD when I was stuck in adjudication. They have this system that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they even have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Interesting, I hadn't heard of that. Might have saved me a lot of frustration if I'd known about it earlier.

I get the frustration but there are legal requirements they have to follow. They need time to verify employment, check for any issues, and process everything correctly.

Still doesn't excuse making people wait in limbo when they need money for basic necessities.

That gives me hope! Did you have to provide any additional documentation or was it all automatic?

All automatic for me. I think because my employer had already reported the layoff to Washington ESD beforehand, it went smoother.

Log into your Washington ESD account and check if there are any 'To Do' items or pending issues listed. If there are, those need to be resolved before your claim can be approved.

I checked and there's nothing showing up under pending issues. Just says 'claim under review' which tells me nothing.

That's exactly when Claimyr helped me - when I couldn't figure out what was holding up my claim. Got connected to an agent who explained there was an employer response they were waiting for that wasn't showing up in my online account.

5 weeks?! That's terrifying. I only had one job so hopefully mine won't take that long.

Yeah, having multiple employers can complicate things. But single employer situations usually process faster.

Congrats! Yeah I've been doing my weekly claims religiously even though nothing's approved yet.

Smart move - that's one of the biggest mistakes people make.

Literally me right now! I refresh the page constantly hoping something changes.

Try to check just once a day max - driving yourself crazy won't make it go faster.

I filed mid-month so hopefully that helps. Never thought about timing mattering.

That's a good point - also holiday weeks can slow things down because of reduced staffing.

Good reminder - I've been applying to jobs but wasn't keeping a detailed log. Better start doing that.

Yeah, keep track of every application, company name, date, and how you applied. They're pretty strict about the job search requirement.

I'm definitely considering it if I don't hear something soon. The not knowing is killing me.

yeah she said the agent was able to see stuff in the system that doesn't show up online

A month would be devastating. I really hope mine doesn't take that long.

Most straightforward layoff cases don't take that long. Yours sounds pretty clear cut.

How would I know if they contested it? Nothing shows up in my account about that.

You'd get a notice if it went to adjudication. Since you haven't gotten one, your employer probably didn't contest it.

Right, and mass layoffs rarely get contested since the employer initiated the separation.

That's what I'm hoping for - just a random approval email appearing one day soon.

It will happen! Just try to stay patient, I know it's hard when bills are due.

Good point - I double checked and everything looks current. Phone, email, address all correct.

Perfect. That eliminates one potential delay factor.

Yeah, our plant wasn't the only one in the area to downsize recently. Makes sense that would create a backlog.

Exactly. High volume periods always slow down processing, but they do get through them eventually.

That's good to know! At least once it's approved the money comes fast.

Yep, and they'll pay you for all the weeks you claimed while waiting, so you won't lose out on any benefits.

Exactly - that's why it's so important to keep filing those weekly claims even while the initial claim is pending.

Thanks everyone for all the advice and reassurance. Going to try to be patient for another week or two before I panic.

And remember, if you do need to contact Washington ESD directly, services like Claimyr are there to help you actually get through to someone. Sometimes that direct contact can speed things up.

Definitely keep that as an option if you need it. The peace of mind alone can be worth it.