How many months do you need to work to get Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

It's not really about months worked, it's about your earnings during what they call the 'base period.' Washington ESD looks at the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file your claim. You need to have earned at least $1,005 in your highest quarter and total wages of at least $3,500 during the entire base period.

I think you'll probably be fine with 8 months of work. When I got laid off last year I had only been at my job for 6 months but I qualified because I had worked other jobs during the base period too.

If you're having trouble figuring out if you qualify or getting through to Washington ESD to check, I used Claimyr recently and it was super helpful. They have this system that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent without waiting on hold forever. Check out claimyr.com - they even have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works.

The wage requirements can be tricky. You also need to have worked in at least 2 quarters during your base period, not just have the minimum dollar amounts. So even if you made enough money, it has to be spread across multiple quarters.

wait so if you work part time for a year does that count the same as full time for 6 months?? asking for a friend lol

I got denied initially because they said I didn't have enough qualifying wages, but then I appealed and they approved me using the alternate base period. Don't give up if you get denied at first!

One thing people don't realize is that if you quit your job voluntarily, you might not qualify even if you have enough work history. You generally need to be laid off or fired for reasons that aren't your fault.

The system is so broken honestly. I worked for 2 years straight and when I got laid off they still made me jump through a million hoops to prove I was eligible. Like hello I've been paying into this system the whole time!

Pro tip: if you do file for unemployment, make sure you have all your employment history ready including exact dates and employer info. They'll ask for details about every job you've had during the base period.

I've been on unemployment twice and both times the hardest part was getting through to someone at Washington ESD to ask questions. The automated system is useless and the wait times are insane.

Just want to add that even if you qualify, your weekly benefit amount depends on your highest earning quarter. So working more doesn't just help you qualify, it also gets you higher payments.

OP you should be fine with 8 months of recent work. I qualified with just 5 months because I had worked other jobs in previous quarters. The key is making sure your total wages hit those thresholds during the base period.

One more thing - if you do end up filing, don't wait. File as soon as you're unemployed because there's a waiting week and benefits don't backdate to before you file your claim.

Also remember you have to do the job search requirements once you're on benefits. It's like 3 job search activities per week and you have to keep a log.

Been following this thread and wanted to mention that if you're confused about your specific situation, you can always create an account on the Washington ESD website and use their benefit calculator. It's not perfect but gives you a rough idea.

For anyone else reading this who's in a similar situation - definitely try that Claimyr service if you need to talk to Washington ESD about eligibility questions. I used it last month when I was confused about my base period and the agent was able to look up my exact wage history and tell me if I qualified. Way better than trying to guess.

This whole thread has been super informative. I'm in a similar boat where I'm worried about potential layoffs and wasn't sure if I'd qualify. Sounds like most people who've worked steadily for 6+ months should be okay as long as they meet the wage requirements.