How long to work to collect unemployment benefits in Washington?

That's confusing - what exactly is a quarter? Is that like 3 months?

Yes, a quarter is 3 months. So Q1 is Jan-Mar, Q2 is Apr-Jun, etc. If you file in January 2025, your base period would typically be Jan 2024 through Sep 2024.

This is way more complicated than I thought it would be when I first looked into Washington unemployment

So theoretically someone could qualify after working just 6 months if they worked in 2 different quarters?

Potentially yes, but they'd still need to meet the minimum earnings thresholds I mentioned earlier.

Good luck getting through on the phone! I tried calling Washington ESD for weeks about my claim and could never reach anyone.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr.com - they actually help you get through to Washington ESD agents. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made such a difference when I needed to talk to someone about my eligibility.

That sounds too good to be true, but I'm desperate at this point. How does it work exactly?

How do you request the alternate base period? Do they do it automatically?

You have to specifically request it when you file your initial claim. They don't do it automatically which is frustrating.

The quarter system actually protects workers better because it's based on earnings, not just time worked. Someone working part-time for a year might not qualify, but someone working full-time for 6 months could.

i guess that makes sense when you put it that way

That actually makes it clearer, thank you! So it's really about the dollar amounts more than time.

Wait, does this include tips? I work in a restaurant and a lot of my income is tips that I report.

Yes, reported tip income counts toward your earnings as long as your employer paid unemployment taxes on it.

That's another important point - if you quit voluntarily, you generally won't qualify for benefits unless you had 'good cause' like unsafe working conditions or harassment.

Yeah I learned that the hard way. Washington ESD denied my claim because I quit without good cause.

I didn't even know self-employed people could get unemployment in Washington!

It's a newer program but yes, you can opt into it if you pay the premiums. Most people don't know about it.

how much did it cost?

I'd rather pay something to actually reach someone than waste weeks trying to call myself. The peace of mind was worth it.

That's my situation actually - I worked in Oregon before moving here. Would I file in Oregon then?

Possibly, depending on where you earned more. You'd want to check with both states to see which gives you a higher benefit amount.

Seasonal work counts the same as any other work for earnings requirements. Many construction workers in Washington collect unemployment during slow winter months.

Good to know, that's exactly my situation every year

Agreed. The language they use is so technical that most people get confused about something that's actually pretty straightforward.

I might need to try that if I end up filing a claim. Thanks for the recommendation!

Same here, bookmarked their site for future reference

Happy to help! The Washington unemployment system isn't as complicated as it first seems once you break it down.

Exactly! You've got it. And remember the base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.

Perfect summary. Those are the main requirements that trip people up.