How many months do you have to work to collect unemployment in Washington?

That's confusing - so it's about how much money I made, not how long I worked?

Exactly! You could work 2 months and make $2000 and qualify, or work 6 months part-time making $800 and not qualify. It's all about the wage amount.

You're absolutely right! I should have mentioned that requirement too. Thanks for adding that detail.

Okay so I need $1000 total AND wages in at least 2 different quarters? This is getting complicated.

yeah but if you worked 8 months straight you probably hit both requirements easily

I didn't know about that tool! I'll check it out, thanks.

That tool is super helpful. Saved me a lot of guesswork when I filed my claim last year.

How does that work exactly? Do they call Washington ESD for you?

Yeah, they handle the calling and waiting, then connect you when they get an agent on the line. Saved me so much frustration.

Never heard of that service but sounds useful if you can't get through the normal way.

So if I don't qualify one way, Washington ESD automatically checks the other way?

Yes, they'll automatically consider the alternate base period if you don't qualify under the standard method.

This happened to me! Didn't qualify the first way but did with the alternate base period.

Because people work different hours and earn different wages. The wage-based system is actually more fair than just counting months.

i guess but its still confusing as hell

I agree it's confusing but once you understand it, it makes sense. Part-time workers can still qualify if they earn enough.

How do they calculate the weekly amount?

It's based on your highest earning quarter during your base period. They take that amount, divide by 26, and that's roughly your weekly benefit amount.

How do you check if wages were reported correctly?

You can see your reported wages in your SecureAccess Washington account. If something's missing, you'll need to contact Washington ESD and possibly provide pay stubs to prove your wages.

This is why I keep all my pay stubs! You never know when you might need them for unemployment or other benefits.

It's set by state law so it would require legislative action to change. But you're right that $1000 is pretty low by today's standards.

At minimum wage in Washington that's only about 80 hours of work, so it's not that hard to meet.

Self-employed workers generally don't qualify for regular unemployment unless they specifically paid into the system. Temp agency workers should qualify as long as the agency properly reported their wages.

Thanks for clarifying! I wasn't sure how that worked.

That's reassuring to hear. I was really worried I might not qualify.

Yeah unless you were working very part-time for very low wages, 8 months should be more than enough.

That's where services like Claimyr come in handy. They deal with the calling headache so you don't have to spend days trying to reach someone.

Wish I had known about that option when I was dealing with this!

Good point. I've heard the job search requirements are pretty strict too.

Yes, you need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep detailed records. Washington ESD can audit your job search activities.

And don't forget to register with WorkSourceWA if you haven't already. That's required too.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much better about understanding the requirements now.

Good luck OP! Hope you don't need to use the information but it's good to know just in case.