How long to work somewhere to get unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?

That's confusing - what counts as a quarter? Like January-March, April-June?

Exactly. Calendar quarters are Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, and Oct-Dec. You need wages reported in at least 2 of those quarters during your base period.

Right, there's a monetary requirement too. You need to have earned at least $1,750 in your highest quarter and your total base period wages need to be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings.

So if I made $2000 in my best quarter, I'd need at least $3000 total? That doesn't seem too hard to meet.

Yes, temp work counts as long as you were getting a W-2 and they were paying into the unemployment system. The key is having wages reported to Washington ESD during those quarters.

Good to know! I was worried all that temp work wouldn't matter.

Never heard of that service. Did it actually help you get through faster?

Yeah, saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals. Worth it when you need answers about your eligibility.

That would be wages in three different quarters - Q4 (Nov-Dec), Q1 (Jan-Mar), but only January and February would count in Q1 since you said you worked until February.

Oh wow I never thought about it like that. So I probably do qualify then.

The quarter system is meant to ensure people have a recent and consistent work history, not just one period of work. It prevents someone from working intensively for a few months then living off UI.

I guess that makes sense but it's still confusing as hell for regular people trying to figure out if they qualify.

That's likely correct. You'd have wages in Q1 2025 (Jan-Mar), but you'd need wages in at least one other quarter during your base period to qualify.

Unless you had previous work in 2024 that would still be in your base period. Washington ESD looks at the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters.

If you file in March 2025, your base period would likely be Q4 2023, Q1 2024, Q2 2024, and Q3 2024. They don't count the quarter you're currently in or the most recent completed quarter when you file.

that seems really far back? what if I didn't work in 2023 at all?

Right, the alternate base period uses the most recent four completed quarters. So it's more current than the standard base period.

How do you know which one they'll use? Do you have to ask for the alternate base period?

That's good to know. So they'll try both ways to see if I qualify?

Exactly. They want to approve claims when possible, so they'll use whichever base period gives you eligibility if either one works.

Yeah I've heard about the job search requirements. How many jobs do you have to apply to each week?

In Washington, you need to make at least 3 job search activities per week and keep a log. Activities can include applying for jobs, networking, job fairs, etc.

Did they give you a clear list of what activities count? I keep hearing different things.

Yeah, they explained that online applications, networking contacts, attending job fairs, and even some training activities can count. The key is documenting everything properly.

The information is on their website, but it's definitely not presented in the most user-friendly way. The eligibility requirements are buried in different sections.

exactly my point! it shouldn't be buried or require a law degree to understand

Smart approach. You can also create an account on the Washington ESD website and check your wage history to see exactly what they have on record for you.

Good point about checking your wage records. Sometimes there are delays in employer reporting that can affect your eligibility determination.

Right, I should mention I'm only worried about layoffs or the job not working out on their end. Not planning to quit.

Good, that makes it much more straightforward. Layoffs and terminations for non-misconduct reasons usually qualify.

same here. the quarter system makes more sense now that people explained it

Agreed! Much clearer than the official Washington ESD explanations I was trying to read.

That's true, but be careful about providing accurate information. False statements on your application can cause problems later even if they're honest mistakes.

Oh definitely, I meant apply if you think you might qualify, not if you know you don't. Always be honest about your work history and earnings.

Perfect summary! This should be pinned or something. Way clearer than anything I found on the official website.

seriously washington esd should hire whoever wrote this to redo their website

I'll keep that in mind if I need to file a claim. Thanks for mentioning it!

Yeah, might be worth it just for the peace of mind of knowing you're doing everything right.

Thanks! Yeah, fingers crossed the job works out, but at least now I know where I stand if it doesn't.