How long employed to collect Washington ESD unemployment benefits?
I just got laid off from my job and I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD. I worked at my last job for about 8 months but before that I had a gap where I wasn't working for like 6 months. Does anyone know how long you need to be employed to collect unemployment in Washington? I'm really confused about the work history requirements and I can't get through to anyone at Washington ESD on the phone.
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Noland Curtis
In Washington state, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period to qualify for UI benefits. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. It's not about how long you worked at one job, but about having enough wages overall.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Thanks! So if I worked 8 months at my recent job, that should count as wages in two quarters right? Even with the gap before that?
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Noland Curtis
•Yes, as long as you earned enough wages during those quarters. Washington ESD looks at your total earnings, not employment gaps.
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Diez Ellis
You also need to meet the monetary requirements - you need at least $1,000 in wages during your base period and your wages in one quarter need to be at least 1.5 times your wages in another quarter. But 8 months of work should easily meet these requirements if you were working full time.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•I was working full time making about $3200 a month, so I think I should be good on the wage requirements. Just worried about that employment gap I had.
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Vanessa Figueroa
•The gap doesn't matter for qualification purposes. Washington ESD only cares about the wages you earned during your base period quarters.
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Abby Marshall
I had the same worry when I got laid off last year! I had worked for 10 months but had a long unemployment period before that. Turns out it didn't matter at all - I qualified just fine. The key is having wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•That's really reassuring, thank you! Did you have any trouble with the application process?
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Abby Marshall
•The online application was pretty straightforward, but I did have trouble reaching Washington ESD when I had questions about my claim status.
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Sadie Benitez
Speaking of reaching Washington ESD - I was having the same problem getting through on the phone for weeks. Someone on here recommended trying Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it actually worked! They handle calling Washington ESD for you and getting you connected to an agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Drew Hathaway
•Really? I've been trying to call for days to ask about my adjudication status. How does that service work exactly?
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Sadie Benitez
•You basically give them your info and they call Washington ESD repeatedly until they get through, then connect you to an agent. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•That sounds too good to be true honestly. Is it legit?
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Vanessa Figueroa
Just to clarify the exact requirements - you need wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period, total wages of at least $1,000, and wages in your highest quarter need to be at least 1.5 times your wages in another quarter. Most people who work 6+ months full time easily meet these.
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Laila Prince
•What if you worked part time? I only worked about 25 hours a week for 9 months.
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Vanessa Figueroa
•Part time can still qualify as long as you meet the wage requirements. The hours don't matter, just the total wages earned.
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Drew Hathaway
The employment gap thing used to worry me too but Washington ESD really doesn't care about gaps in employment. They only look at whether you earned enough wages during the specific base period quarters. I had a 2 year gap and still qualified.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Wow 2 years! That makes me feel much better about my 6 month gap.
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Isabel Vega
•Same here - had a gap due to going back to school and it didn't affect my UI eligibility at all when I got laid off.
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Dominique Adams
wait so its not about how long you worked at your last job specifically? i thought you had to work somewhere for like a year to get unemployment
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Noland Curtis
•No, that's a common misconception. It's about your total wages earned during the base period, which covers multiple quarters. You could work at 5 different jobs during that time and still qualify.
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Dominique Adams
•oh that makes way more sense. i was worried because i only worked at my last place for 4 months
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Diez Ellis
For anyone still confused about the base period - it's usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would typically be Jan-Mar 2024, Apr-Jun 2024, Jul-Sep 2024, and Oct-Dec 2024.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•This is really helpful! So they're looking at a pretty wide window of time, not just recent employment.
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Marilyn Dixon
•Exactly. And if you don't qualify using the standard base period, Washington ESD can sometimes use an alternate base period with more recent quarters.
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Louisa Ramirez
I tried using that Claimyr thing someone mentioned and it actually worked! Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in like 20 minutes instead of calling for hours. They were able to explain my base period wages and confirm I qualified.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Ok now I'm definitely going to try that if I have trouble reaching them. Thanks for the update!
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TommyKapitz
•How much does it cost though? I'm already worried about money being unemployed.
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Louisa Ramirez
•I'd rather not get into pricing details here, but for me it was worth it to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD instead of calling endlessly.
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Angel Campbell
The 8 months you worked should definitely be enough if you were earning decent wages. I qualified with only 7 months of work because I was making good money during that time. Washington ESD approved my claim pretty quickly once I filed.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•That's great to hear! Did you have any issues with the weekly claims process?
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Angel Campbell
•Weekly claims are pretty straightforward. Just make sure you report any work or income accurately and complete your job search activities.
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Payton Black
IMPORTANT: Don't forget you also have to be able and available for work, and actively seeking work. Meeting the wage requirements is just one part of UI eligibility. You'll need to register with WorkSource and do job search activities each week.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Good point! I've already started looking for jobs but I should probably register with WorkSource before I file my claim.
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Harold Oh
•You can register with WorkSource after filing, but it's required to maintain your benefits. They'll tell you the job search requirements when you file.
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Amun-Ra Azra
been unemployed for 3 weeks now and still waiting to hear back on my claim. the waiting is the worst part honestly
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Is your claim in adjudication? That seems to be taking longer these days.
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Amun-Ra Azra
•yeah its been in adjudication for 2 weeks now. no idea whats taking so long
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Sadie Benitez
•That's exactly why I used Claimyr - to actually talk to someone about my adjudication status instead of just waiting and wondering.
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Summer Green
The good news is Washington has pretty reasonable qualification requirements compared to some states. If you worked 8 months full time you should be fine. Just file your claim as soon as possible since there's a waiting week.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Thanks! I'm planning to file tomorrow. Is there anything specific I should have ready when I file?
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Summer Green
•Have your Social Security number, employment history for the last 18 months, and reason for separation ready. The online application walks you through everything.
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Gael Robinson
One thing to keep in mind - if you quit your job voluntarily, the employment length requirements are the same but you might face additional scrutiny about your reason for leaving. Layoffs are usually much more straightforward.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•I was laid off due to company downsizing, so hopefully that makes things easier.
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Gael Robinson
•Yes, layoffs due to lack of work are typically approved quickly as long as you meet the wage requirements.
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Edward McBride
Just want to echo what others said - employment gaps don't matter for qualification. I had multiple gaps over the years and still qualified when I needed unemployment. Washington ESD only cares about your base period wages.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•This thread has been so helpful! I feel much more confident about filing now.
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Darcy Moore
•Glad we could help! The unemployment system can be confusing but once you understand the basics it's not too bad.
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Dana Doyle
Has anyone had experience with the alternate base period? I'm wondering if I should request that since my recent wages were higher than earlier in the base period.
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Vanessa Figueroa
•Washington ESD will automatically consider the alternate base period if you don't qualify under the standard one. You don't usually need to request it specifically.
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Dana Doyle
•Good to know! I wasn't sure if I needed to mention it when filing.
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Liam Duke
For what it's worth, I tried that Claimyr service too after seeing it mentioned here and it really does work. Finally got through to Washington ESD to resolve an issue with my weekly claim that had been pending for weeks.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•I think I'm definitely going to try that if I run into any issues. Seems like a lot of people have had success with it.
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Manny Lark
•Same here - used it to get help with an overpayment notice I didn't understand. Much better than trying to call Washington ESD directly.
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Rita Jacobs
Bottom line - 8 months of full time work should easily qualify you for unemployment benefits in Washington. The base period covers multiple quarters so employment gaps aren't an issue. Just file as soon as you can!
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Perfect! Thanks everyone for all the help. Filing my claim first thing tomorrow morning.
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Khalid Howes
•Good luck! The process is usually pretty smooth once you get started.
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