How long must you be employed to collect unemployment benefits in Washington?

You don't need to work at your current job for any specific length of time. Washington ESD looks at your entire work history over the past 18 months, not just your most recent job. They calculate your base year earnings from all qualifying employers during that period.

I think you need to work for like 6 months or something? Not sure though, I remember hearing that somewhere.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to get specific information about your eligibility, I'd recommend checking out Claimyr at claimyr.com. They have a service that helps you actually get through to an ESD agent on the phone instead of waiting on hold forever. There's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

To be clear about Washington's requirements: you need sufficient wages in your base year, not a specific employment duration. The key thresholds are: 1) At least $1,005 in your highest earning quarter, AND 2) Total base year wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings, AND 3) Wages in at least two quarters of your base year.

Wait, I'm confused. So even if I only worked my current job for 3 weeks, I could still get unemployment if I had enough wages from previous jobs?

The Washington ESD website has a calculator where you can estimate your eligibility based on your work history. It's pretty straightforward once you understand they look at quarters, not continuous employment periods.

Just want to add that even if you meet the monetary requirements, you still need to be unemployed through no fault of your own. Getting fired for cause or quitting without good cause can disqualify you regardless of your work history.

I had a similar situation last year. Worked somewhere for only 6 weeks before they eliminated my position. I was worried I wouldn't qualify but since I had worked full-time the previous year at another company, I met all the requirements.

The thing that trips people up is thinking they need to work at their CURRENT job for a certain period. But Washington looks at your entire recent work history, which makes sense since people change jobs frequently these days.

If you're really concerned about your eligibility, you could always file a claim and let Washington ESD make the determination. There's no penalty for filing if you end up not qualifying.

I used Claimyr when I needed to talk to someone at ESD about my base year calculation. The automated systems don't always give you the full picture of your eligibility, and sometimes you need to speak with an actual person to understand your specific situation.

One thing to keep in mind is that even if you qualify based on your work history, you'll still need to meet the ongoing requirements like actively searching for work and being available for work.

For what it's worth, I think Washington's eligibility requirements are pretty reasonable compared to some other states. The fact that they look at your entire work history rather than just your most recent job makes it easier for people in your situation.

The bottom line is don't let the length of time at your current job discourage you from applying if you become unemployed. Your previous work history is what really matters for eligibility in Washington.

Just to summarize for anyone else reading this: Washington ESD doesn't require any minimum employment period at your current job. They look at your wages over the past 4-5 quarters from ALL qualifying employers to determine monetary eligibility.