How long you have to be employed to get unemployment benefits in Washington ESD
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits. I've been working at my current job for about 8 months now, but before that I had a gap where I wasn't working for like 6 months. Does anyone know exactly how long you have to be employed to get unemployment? I'm worried I might not have worked long enough if something happens to my job. Also do they look at just your most recent job or do they consider all your work history from the past year or two?
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Paolo Rizzo
Washington ESD looks at your base period which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. You need to have earned at least $1,000 in your base period and worked in at least two quarters. It's not about how long you worked at one job, it's about your total earnings during that timeframe.
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Keisha Williams
•Oh okay so it's based on quarters not just continuous employment at one place? That makes more sense. I think I should be fine then since I worked most of last year.
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Amina Sy
•yeah the base period thing confused me too when I first filed. they also have this alternate base period if you don't qualify under the regular one
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Oliver Fischer
I had a similar situation last year - worked 9 months, then got laid off. I qualified even though I had some gaps in my employment history. As long as you meet the earnings requirements in your base period you should be good. The Washington ESD website has a tool where you can estimate your benefits too.
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Keisha Williams
•Thanks! I'll check out that tool. Did you have any trouble with the application process?
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Oliver Fischer
•Not really, just make sure you have all your employer info ready. The hardest part was actually getting through to someone on the phone when I had questions about my claim status.
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Natasha Ivanova
If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I recently discovered Claimyr at claimyr.com - they help you get through to actual agents without waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to verify my eligibility.
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NebulaNomad
•Never heard of that before but sounds useful. How much does it cost?
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Natasha Ivanova
•They don't require any upfront costs or personal info, just helps you connect when you actually need to talk to someone. Way better than sitting on hold for 3+ hours like I used to do.
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Javier Garcia
•Interesting, I might try that if I run into issues. The Washington ESD phone system is absolutely terrible.
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Emma Taylor
To be more specific about the earnings requirement - you need to have earned wages equal to at least 680 times the state minimum wage during your base period. In 2025 that works out to around $11,424 total. Plus you need earnings in at least two quarters of your base period, and your total base period wages need to be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter.
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Keisha Williams
•Wow that's pretty detailed, thanks! I definitely made more than that so I should qualify. Is there a waiting period after you apply?
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Emma Taylor
•There's typically a one-week waiting period for regular UI claims. Your first payable week is usually the second week after you file, assuming your claim is approved without any issues.
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Malik Robinson
•unless your claim gets stuck in adjudication like mine did... then you wait way longer :
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Amina Sy
just to add - if you quit your job you might not qualify even if you meet the work requirements. has to be through no fault of your own (layoff, hours reduced, etc). they're pretty strict about that
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Keisha Williams
•Good point, I wasn't planning on quitting anyway but that's important to know.
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Isabella Silva
•What if you quit for good cause like unsafe working conditions?
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Emma Taylor
•Washington ESD does allow benefits for good cause quits but you have to prove it was necessary. Things like workplace harassment, unsafe conditions, or significant changes to your job duties can qualify.
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NebulaNomad
The gap in employment shouldn't matter as long as it wasn't during your base period quarters. I had a 4 month gap between jobs and still qualified because I had enough earnings in the quarters they looked at.
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Keisha Williams
•That's reassuring, thanks! My gap was earlier so hopefully it won't affect anything.
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Javier Garcia
Make sure you also understand the weekly filing requirements if you do end up needing to claim. You have to file every week and report any work you do, even if it's just a few hours. Missing a weekly claim can mess up your whole benefit period.
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Keisha Williams
•I didn't know about the weekly filing requirement. How long do you have to keep doing that?
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Javier Garcia
•For as long as you're claiming benefits, up to 26 weeks in a benefit year. Plus you have to do job search activities and report them.
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Ravi Choudhury
•the job search requirements are no joke either - you need to do at least 3 job search activities per week and keep detailed records
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Paolo Rizzo
One more thing to consider - if you're currently employed and just worried about potential layoffs, you can't file for unemployment while you're still working full time. Benefits are for when you're unemployed or working significantly reduced hours.
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Keisha Williams
•Right, I'm just trying to understand the requirements in case something happens. Better to know ahead of time.
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CosmosCaptain
I wish I had looked into this stuff before I needed it. When I got laid off I was scrambling to figure out if I qualified and it was stressful. Good on you for planning ahead!
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Keisha Williams
•Yeah I learned my lesson from not being prepared for other things. Thanks for all the helpful info everyone!
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Oliver Fischer
Another tip - when you do file, make sure you have your employer's information ready including their unemployment account number if you know it. Speeds up the process.
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Freya Johansen
•Where do you find the employer's unemployment account number?
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Oliver Fischer
•It's usually on your pay stubs or W-2, but if you don't have it Washington ESD can look it up with just the employer name and address.
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Omar Fawzi
This thread is super helpful! I'm in a similar situation and wasn't sure about the requirements. Sounds like most people who work regularly for several months qualify.
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Emma Taylor
•Generally yes, as long as you meet the earnings thresholds. The system is designed to help people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own.
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Chloe Wilson
Just remember that even if you qualify, your weekly benefit amount depends on how much you earned during your base period. Higher earnings = higher weekly benefits, up to the maximum.
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Keisha Williams
•What's the maximum weekly benefit in Washington?
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Chloe Wilson
•For 2025 it's $999 per week, but most people get less than that. It's calculated as a percentage of your average weekly wages.
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Diego Mendoza
Quick question - do bonuses count toward the earnings requirement or just regular wages?
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Emma Taylor
•All wages reported on your W-2 count, including bonuses, overtime, commissions, etc. As long as unemployment taxes were paid on it, it counts toward your base period earnings.
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Anastasia Romanov
I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when my claim got stuck in adjudication. Really works - got through to someone in like 20 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait times. Definitely recommend if you run into any issues with Washington ESD.
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StellarSurfer
•How long was your claim stuck in adjudication?
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Anastasia Romanov
•About 3 weeks. Turned out they just needed some additional documentation from my previous employer. Once I talked to an agent it got resolved pretty quickly.
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Sean Kelly
For anyone reading this thread later - the Washington ESD website has gotten a lot better over the past year. The online claim filing process is pretty straightforward now.
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Zara Malik
•Agreed, much better than it used to be. Though I still prefer calling when I have specific questions about my claim.
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Luca Greco
One last thing - if you're not sure whether you qualify, just apply anyway. Worst case they say no, but you might be surprised. I thought I didn't have enough earnings but ended up qualifying for partial benefits.
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Keisha Williams
•That's good advice. I feel a lot more confident about the requirements now after reading everyone's responses.
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Nia Thompson
•Same here, this was really informative. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!
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Mateo Rodriguez
If you do end up needing to file and have trouble getting through to Washington ESD for any reason, that Claimyr thing really is worth trying. I was skeptical at first but it saved me so much time and frustration when I needed to update my claim information.
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Aisha Hussain
•Good to know! I bookmarked their site just in case.
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GalacticGladiator
This whole thread should be pinned or something - covers all the basic questions about qualifying for unemployment in Washington. Way more helpful than trying to navigate the ESD website on your own.
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Keisha Williams
•Definitely! I learned more here in 30 minutes than I did spending hours on the official website.
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