How long work before unemployment benefits in Washington - confused about eligibility

So if I've been working 8 months that should be enough time to meet the two quarters requirement right? What exactly counts as a quarter?

Yes, quarters are just 3-month periods: Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec. If you've worked 8 months you've definitely worked in at least two quarters. The bigger question is whether you've earned enough money to meet the $3,850 minimum.

You're right - you need to earn at least $1,500 in your highest earning quarter AND have total base period earnings of at least 1.5 times your high quarter earnings. So if your best quarter was $2,000, you'd need at least $3,000 total in your base period.

This is getting complicated. Is there an easy way to check if I qualify without having to do all this math?

OMG yes the phone situation is TERRIBLE. I tried calling Washington ESD for 3 weeks straight and never got through. It's like they don't want you to actually talk to anyone.

I ended up using this service called Claimyr that basically calls Washington ESD for you and connects you when they get through. Saved me so much time and frustration. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they even have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Correct, it doesn't matter how many different employers you had. Washington ESD looks at ALL your covered wages during the base period, regardless of which companies paid you.

thats good to know thanks

6 weeks?? That's crazy. What's adjudication exactly?

It's when they review your claim to make sure you qualify. Mine got flagged because I had a gap in employment and they want to verify why I wasn't working. It's a nightmare.

That's awful. Have you tried getting help from Washington ESD directly? I know the phones are bad but maybe there's another way to contact them about your adjudication status.

How do I check if Washington ESD has all my wage information? One of my previous jobs was kind of sketchy about paperwork.

You can check your wage history by logging into your SecureAccess Washington account and looking at the unemployment section. If wages are missing, you can request a wage investigation.

That's good to know! So there's hope even for people who haven't been working super long?

Exactly. The alternate base period uses the last four completed quarters instead of the first four of the last five. It can help people who recently entered the workforce or returned to work after a break.

Good point about filing right away. Do you know if there are any other requirements besides the work history and earnings?

You also have to be able and available to work, actively looking for jobs, and you can't have quit without good cause or been fired for misconduct. The job search requirement is 3 job contacts per week I think.

Thanks for the heads up about WorkSourceWA. I had no idea about that requirement.

Yeah they're pretty strict about the job search log. I forgot to update mine one week and got a warning letter. Better to be safe and document everything.

Same here! I feel much less anxious about the whole situation now. At least I know I probably qualify if something happens with my job.

This is why forums like this are so valuable. The official Washington ESD website makes everything sound so complicated but when real people explain it, it actually makes sense.

I've tried that multiple times and still couldn't get through. The system is just overwhelmed. That Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier sounds like it might be worth it if you really need to talk to someone.

Yeah I've heard good things about services like that. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to get answers, especially if your situation is complicated.

That's encouraging! I think I should be okay then since I've been working steady for 8 months.

You'll probably be fine. The main thing is just making sure you understand all the ongoing requirements once you start collecting - the weekly claims, job search, reporting any work income, etc.

Yes, seasonal work counts as long as the employer paid into the unemployment insurance system. Most legitimate employers do, but some very small or cash-based operations might not.

Good to know, thanks! That seasonal work might help me meet the two-quarter requirement.

Yeah it sounds like actually getting through to them is the bigger problem than qualifying. Hopefully I won't need to find out anytime soon!

I used Claimyr when I had issues with my claim last year and it was a lifesaver. Worth checking out if you ever need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD without spending hours on hold.