How many hours do you have to work to claim unemployment in Washington ESD?

It's not about total hours worked - Washington ESD looks at your earnings during your base period. You need to have earned at least $1,096 in your highest quarter and your total base period earnings must be at least 1.25 times your highest quarter. The base period is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.

wait i thought you had to work full time to get unemployment?? i only worked like 25 hours a week at my last job

I had a similar situation last year with multiple part-time jobs. The tricky part is that Washington ESD will calculate your weekly benefit amount based on ALL your base period wages, but you still need to meet their separation requirements for at least one job. Make sure you have a qualifying reason for leaving or being let go from the retail job.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify your eligibility, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach an agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. I was stuck trying to call for weeks before finding them.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS SET UP TO CONFUSE PEOPLE! They make it so complicated with all these earnings calculations when they could just say 'worked X hours = eligible'. I spent 3 hours on their website trying to figure out my base period.

Another thing to consider - if you're still working the food delivery job, you might be eligible for partial unemployment benefits. Washington ESD allows you to work part-time and still collect reduced benefits as long as you report your earnings.

omg yes report everything! my friend got in trouble for not reporting some cash tips she made

I was in almost the exact same situation 6 months ago. Two part-time jobs, one ended, wasn't sure if I qualified. Turns out I did because my combined earnings met the requirements. The key is having all your wage information ready when you apply - pay stubs, W-2s, etc.

Just want to add that if your claim goes into adjudication (which happens sometimes with multiple employers), don't panic. It just means they need to verify some information. I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier to get through and check on my adjudication status.

also remember you have to be actively looking for work and available for full-time work even if your previous jobs were part-time

The earnings requirement isn't that hard to meet if you worked consistently. I think most people who worked part-time for a full year would qualify. The bigger issue is usually the separation reason or ongoing eligibility requirements.

Does anyone know if gig work counts toward the earnings requirement? I did some Uber driving along with my regular jobs.

I'm going through something similar right now. Filed my claim 2 weeks ago and still waiting to hear back. The online system shows my monetary determination is pending. Getting anxious about the whole thing.

Pro tip: make sure you have your Social Security card and ID ready when you apply. They're really strict about identity verification now.

The base period thing confused me at first too but there's a good explanation on the Washington ESD website. They also have a benefit calculator that can give you an estimate of what you might receive.

just apply and see what happens. worst case they say no and you're in the same spot you are now

One thing that helped me was keeping detailed records of all my employment during the base period. Dates, wages, hours, reason for separation, etc. Made the application process much smoother.

The bottom line is that hours don't matter - it's all about earnings and meeting the monetary requirements. Sounds like with two jobs you probably qualify, but the only way to know for sure is to apply and let Washington ESD make the determination.

Remember to file your weekly claims on time once you're approved! Missing even one week can cause issues with your benefits.