How many months to work to collect unemployment benefits in Washington state?

You need to have worked during at least two quarters in your base period to qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits. The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file your claim. It's not just about months - it's about earning enough wages in those quarters to meet the minimum requirements.

Thanks! So it's not just about how long you work but also how much you earn in those quarters?

Exactly. You need to earn at least $1,570 in your highest quarter and total wages of at least $2,355 in your base period as of 2025.

wait but if you quit your job voluntarily don't you get disqualified anyway? i thought unemployment was only for people who got laid off or fired without cause

You're right - quitting voluntarily usually disqualifies you from receiving benefits unless you have good cause. Going back to school typically doesn't qualify as good cause in Washington.

Oh no, I didn't realize that! I thought if you worked long enough you could get benefits regardless of how you left the job.

I had to figure this out last year when I got laid off. The Washington ESD looks at your base period wages, not just how many months you worked. You could work 12 months but if you didn't earn enough in those quarters, you still won't qualify. Plus like others said, quitting usually disqualifies you unless it's for good cause like unsafe working conditions or significant changes to your job.

What counts as good cause for quitting? Is there a list somewhere?

Good cause includes things like harassment, unsafe conditions, significant reduction in hours or pay, or domestic violence situations. Going to school usually doesn't count unless it's job training approved by Washington ESD.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about your specific situation, I recently found this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach a human agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals when I needed to check on my claim status.

That sounds helpful! I've tried calling Washington ESD before and could never get through.

Is this legit? I'm always skeptical of third-party services for government stuff.

Yeah it's legitimate - they just help you get connected to actual Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com for more info.

The quarter system is confusing but basically you need wages in at least 2 of the 4 quarters they look at, plus you need to meet minimum wage requirements. But honestly, if you're planning to quit to go to school, you probably won't be eligible anyway unless you have some special circumstances.

This is more complicated than I thought. Maybe I should talk to someone at Washington ESD directly before making any decisions.

I made this same mistake when I was younger - quit my job thinking I could collect unemployment while I figured out my next move. NOPE. You have to be unemployed through no fault of your own to qualify. The work requirements are just one part of it.

What did you end up doing for money while you were between jobs?

Had to find another job pretty quickly! Learned my lesson about researching unemployment rules before making big decisions.

Just to clarify the work requirements since there's some confusion: Washington uses a base period of 4 quarters, and you need sufficient wages in at least 2 of those quarters. The exact amounts change annually but it's roughly $1,570 in your highest quarter and $2,355 total. However, this is all moot if you voluntarily quit without good cause.

So even if I meet the wage requirements, quitting to go to school would disqualify me?

Most likely yes, unless the school program is approved by Washington ESD as job training. Regular college or university programs usually don't qualify.

the whole system is designed to screw working people over. you work and pay into it but then they make it impossible to actually get benefits when you need them

I get the frustration but the system is meant to support people who lose jobs involuntarily, not those who choose to leave.

still sucks when you're trying to better yourself through education but can't afford to do it

Have you considered taking evening classes or online courses so you can keep working? That way you don't have to worry about unemployment eligibility at all.

That's actually a good idea. The program I want to do does offer evening options.

I was in a similar situation last year and ended up using Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD to ask about my specific circumstances. Turns out I had some options I didn't know about. The service really helped me avoid weeks of trying to call on my own.

What kind of options did they tell you about?

In my case, there were some training programs that would have kept me eligible, but they weren't well advertised. Worth asking about if you can get through to them.

The quarters thing tripped me up too. I thought I had worked enough but I started my job in the middle of a quarter so my wages were split weird. Make sure you understand exactly when your base period starts and ends.

How do you figure out your base period dates?

Washington ESD has a calculator on their website, or you can call them if you can ever get through.

just curious - what field are you going back to school for? some career training programs are treated differently than regular college

I want to do a nursing program. It's a 2-year associate degree program.

nursing might actually qualify as approved training! definitely worth asking Washington ESD about that specifically

Nursing programs are often approved for benefits under certain circumstances. You really should talk to Washington ESD directly about your situation rather than making assumptions. Each case is different.

Good point. I'm going to try calling them this week to ask about nursing programs specifically.

Don't forget you also have to be actively looking for work while collecting benefits. Even if you somehow qualified, you'd still need to do job searches and be available for work.

Would being in school full-time make you unavailable for work in their eyes?

Usually yes, unless it's an approved training program. That's another reason why most students don't qualify.

I used Claimyr a few months ago when I was having issues with my adjudication. Super easy to use and I finally got answers after weeks of trying to call. Highly recommend if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation.

Thanks for the recommendation! Seems like a lot of people have had good experiences with it.

The bottom line is that unemployment isn't designed to support people who voluntarily leave work to pursue education. The work requirements are just the first hurdle - you have to meet those AND have qualifying reasons for being unemployed.

Yeah, I'm starting to understand that now. I think I need to look into other options for funding my education.

Have you looked into financial aid for your nursing program? Pell grants, student loans, scholarships? Those might be better options than trying to rely on unemployment benefits.

I've started looking into financial aid but was hoping unemployment could help bridge the gap. Sounds like I need to focus more on the financial aid route.

Good luck with whatever you decide! Nursing is a great field and worth the investment. Just make sure you have a solid financial plan before you quit your current job.

Thank you! This thread has been really helpful in understanding what I need to consider.

One more thought - some hospitals and healthcare facilities offer tuition assistance or will hire you part-time while you're in nursing school. Might be worth looking into those options too.

That's a great suggestion! I'll start researching healthcare employers in my area.

Yeah definitely explore all your options before making the jump. Education is important but so is not going broke while you're getting it!

Absolutely. This conversation has definitely opened my eyes to things I hadn't considered.