How long you have to work for unemployment benefits in Washington - confused about work requirements

In Washington, you need to have worked in at least two quarters during your base period and earned a minimum amount. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file. You also need to have earned at least $3,850 total and at least $1,270 in your highest earning quarter.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I had questions about my work history. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process so much easier.

The quarters thing can be confusing. If you've been working 8 months, you should have earnings in at least 2 quarters which is good. Washington ESD looks at your earnings history in their system to determine if you meet the monetary requirements. You can check your wage history on the Secure Access Washington (SAW) portal.

wait so its not just about working for a certain number of months? i thought it was like you had to work for 6 months or something

I qualified with just 6 months of work but I was full-time making decent money. The key is making enough in your highest quarter. If you're part-time you might need to work longer to hit those dollar thresholds.

Don't forget about the job separation requirements too. Even if you meet the work requirements, you still need to be unemployed through no fault of your own. Can't just quit without good cause.

The base period thing is what trips people up. It's not the most recent quarters, it's the first four of the last five completed quarters. So there's usually a lag between when you worked and what quarters count for your claim.

I had to appeal my initial denial because Washington ESD didn't have all my wage information. Turned out one of my employers was late submitting their quarterly report. The appeal process took forever but I eventually got approved.

Pro tip: if you're close to qualifying but not quite there, you might be able to use the alternate base period. That looks at the most recent four completed quarters instead of the standard base period.

Just want to add that even if you qualify for benefits, you still need to meet the ongoing requirements like job search and being available for work. The work requirements are just the first step.

Has anyone had success using that Claimyr service mentioned earlier? I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about my work history and keep getting hung up on.

For restaurant workers specifically, make sure all your tips are being reported correctly. That can affect your earnings calculations for unemployment eligibility.

The whole system is so confusing. I wish Washington ESD would just have clear, simple explanations instead of all this bureaucratic nonsense about quarters and base periods.

If you're really unsure about your eligibility, you can always just apply and let Washington ESD make the determination. The worst they can do is say no, and then you know for sure.

One more thing to consider - if you're still working part-time, you might be able to get partial unemployment benefits. Washington allows that if your hours are reduced.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! This thread has been way more useful than trying to navigate the Washington ESD website. At least now I know what to look for.

For anyone still reading this, I found Claimyr super helpful when I needed to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my wage history. Sometimes you just need to speak to a real person to get things sorted out.

Just to summarize for anyone else who finds this thread: you need to work in at least 2 quarters, earn at least $3,850 total, and at least $1,270 in your highest quarter. Check your wage history on SAW to see what Washington ESD has on file.

Hope this helps other restaurant workers out there. The service industry can be tough and it's good to know your options for unemployment benefits if you need them.