How many hours do you need for unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment in Washington. I worked part-time at two different jobs over the past year - one retail job where I averaged about 25 hours a week for 8 months, and another warehouse job where I worked 30 hours a week for 4 months before getting laid off. Do I have enough work hours to qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits? I'm really stressed about this because I need to know before I file my claim.
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Nalani Liu
Washington ESD doesn't look at total hours worked - they look at your wages earned during your base period. You need to have earned at least $7,000 in wages during your base period, and you need wages in at least two quarters of your base period. Your base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim.
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Thais Soares
•Oh okay, so it's about wages not hours? That makes more sense. I think I made around $15,000 last year between both jobs so I should be good then.
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Axel Bourke
•Yeah exactly, and make sure those wages were spread across at least two quarters. If you worked consistently throughout the year you should be fine.
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Aidan Percy
wait im confused, i thought you needed to work full time to get unemployment? ive been working 20 hours a week and got laid off but figured i couldnt apply
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Nalani Liu
•No, you don't need to work full-time! Part-time workers can definitely qualify for unemployment benefits as long as they meet the wage requirements and other eligibility criteria.
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Aidan Percy
•omg really?? i should have filed weeks ago then. thanks for clarifying that
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Fernanda Marquez
I had a similar situation and spent WEEKS trying to get through to Washington ESD to verify my eligibility. The phone lines are absolutely ridiculous - I'd call hundreds of times and either get busy signals or get hung up on after being on hold forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent in like 20 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Definitely worth checking out if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD quickly.
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Thais Soares
•That sounds too good to be true - how much does something like that cost? I'm already broke from being unemployed.
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Fernanda Marquez
•It's not expensive at all considering how much time and frustration it saves. Way better than spending entire days trying to get through on your own.
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Norman Fraser
•I've heard of services like this but always worried they were scams. Good to know there are legitimate ones out there.
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Kendrick Webb
The wage requirement is the main thing but you also have to be able and available for work each week. That means you need to be actively looking for jobs and report your job search activities when you file your weekly claims.
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Thais Soares
•How many jobs do I need to apply to each week? I keep seeing different numbers online.
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Kendrick Webb
•You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week in Washington. Keep detailed records because they can audit your job search log at any time.
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Hattie Carson
ugh the whole system is so confusing! i filed my claim 3 weeks ago and its still showing as pending with no explanation. i meet all the requirements but washington esd is taking forever
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Nalani Liu
•Pending usually means they're doing an adjudication review. It can take several weeks, especially if there are any questions about your separation from work or eligibility.
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Hattie Carson
•adjudication sounds scary. what kind of questions do they ask during that?
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Nalani Liu
•They might contact you or your employer to clarify why you left your job, verify your work history, or confirm other details on your application. Just be honest and provide any documentation they request.
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Destiny Bryant
I qualified with part-time work too. Had three different part-time jobs over the year and made about $12,000 total. The key thing is making sure your wages are properly reported by all your employers. Check your wage records on the Washington ESD website to make sure everything shows up correctly.
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Thais Soares
•Good point about checking wage records. Where exactly do I find that on their website?
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Destiny Bryant
•Log into your SecureAccess Washington account and look for the wage information section. It should show all the wages reported by your employers for each quarter.
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Dyllan Nantx
THE WASHINGTON ESD SYSTEM IS A JOKE!!! Ive been trying to get my claim processed for MONTHS and they keep asking for more documentation. First they wanted my separation letter, then they wanted pay stubs, now they want me to prove I was looking for work during some random week in March. Its like they dont want to pay out benefits!
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Axel Bourke
•That does sound frustrating, but they have to verify eligibility to prevent fraud. Try to be patient and provide whatever they're asking for as quickly as possible.
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Dyllan Nantx
•patient?? ive been patient for 4 months! meanwhile i cant pay my rent because they're dragging their feet
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Fernanda Marquez
•This is exactly why I used Claimyr to get through to an agent. Sometimes you need to actually talk to someone to get these issues resolved instead of just submitting documents into the void.
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TillyCombatwarrior
Just wanted to add that if you worked in multiple states during your base period, you might need to file an interstate claim. Washington ESD can combine wages from other states to help you qualify.
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Thais Soares
•That's good to know! I did work in Oregon for like 2 months last year. Does that help or complicate things?
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TillyCombatwarrior
•It can help if you need those wages to meet the minimum requirement. You'll need to provide documentation of your out-of-state wages when you file your claim.
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Anna Xian
same boat here, worked two part time jobs and got laid off from both within a month of each other. filed my claim and got approved pretty quickly though, so dont stress too much about it
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Thais Soares
•That's reassuring! How long did it take for your claim to get approved?
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Anna Xian
•about 2 weeks from when i filed to when i got my first payment. pretty smooth process overall
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Jungleboo Soletrain
Don't forget that you also need to register with WorkSourceWA and create a job seeker profile. That's a requirement for maintaining your unemployment benefits in Washington. You can do it online at worksourcewa.com.
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Thais Soares
•When do I need to do that? Before I file my claim or after?
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Jungleboo Soletrain
•You should do it as soon as possible after filing your claim. Washington ESD will eventually check to make sure you're registered, and you don't want any delays in your benefits.
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Rajan Walker
I was in adjudication for like 6 weeks because there was some question about whether I quit my job or was laid off. Finally got through to talk to someone at Washington ESD using one of those callback services and got it sorted out in one phone call. Wish I had done that sooner instead of waiting around.
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Thais Soares
•Which callback service did you use? I keep seeing them mentioned but don't know which ones are legit.
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Rajan Walker
•I used Claimyr - super easy to use and they got me connected to an actual Washington ESD agent who could access my file and resolve the issue on the spot.
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Nadia Zaldivar
The $7,000 wage requirement might seem low but remember that's just the minimum. Your actual benefit amount depends on how much you earned during your highest-earning quarter in the base period. So higher wages = higher weekly benefit amount.
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Thais Soares
•How do they calculate the actual benefit amount? Is there a formula or calculator somewhere?
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Nadia Zaldivar
•Washington ESD has a benefit calculator on their website. Generally it's about 1/25th of your earnings in your highest quarter, but there are caps and minimums that apply.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
honestly the hardest part isnt qualifying its dealing with the weekly claims and job search requirements. make sure you understand what counts as a valid job search contact because they can disqualify you if your job search log doesnt meet their standards
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Thais Soares
•What counts as a valid job search contact? Just applying for jobs online?
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•applying for jobs, contacting employers directly, attending job fairs, networking activities, career counseling appointments. they want 3 per week and you need to keep detailed records
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Ev Luca
Quick tip - when you file your initial claim online, make sure you have all your employer information handy including exact addresses and dates of employment. Missing or incorrect information can delay your claim processing.
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Thais Soares
•Good point! I'll make sure to gather all that info before I start the application.
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Avery Davis
I qualified with just part-time work too but be prepared for potentially lower weekly benefits. My benefit amount was only about $200 per week because my wages were lower than full-time workers. Still better than nothing though!
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Thais Soares
•Yeah I'm not expecting a huge amount, just something to help with basic expenses while I look for full-time work.
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Axel Bourke
•Even partial benefits can make a huge difference when you're between jobs. Definitely worth applying if you think you qualify.
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Collins Angel
The other thing to remember is that you can work part-time while collecting unemployment in Washington, but you need to report any wages you earn each week. They'll reduce your benefit amount accordingly but you won't lose benefits entirely as long as you're under certain thresholds.
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Thais Soares
•That's good to know! So I could take a temporary part-time job while looking for something full-time?
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Collins Angel
•Exactly! Just make sure to report those wages accurately when you file your weekly claims. Being dishonest about wages can get you disqualified and create overpayment issues.
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Marcelle Drum
Based on what you described with your work history, you should definitely qualify. Two jobs with consistent hours over most of the year probably puts you well over the wage requirements. Go ahead and file your claim - worst case scenario they say no, but I think you'll be approved.
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Thais Soares
•Thanks for the encouragement! I'm going to gather all my employment info and file this weekend.
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Nalani Liu
•Good plan! And remember you can always call Washington ESD if you have questions after filing, though you might want to use a service like Claimyr to actually get through to someone.
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