How many times can I file for unemployment with Washington ESD?

There's no limit on how many times you can file for unemployment in Washington as long as you meet the eligibility requirements each time. The key is that you need to have earned enough wages in your base period to qualify for a new claim. If you've worked enough since your last claim ended, you should be able to establish a new benefit year.

You can file as many times as needed, but each claim has to be based on wages earned during a specific base period. Washington ESD looks at your earnings from the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. If you don't have enough wages in that period, you might be able to use alternate base period wages instead.

I was in a similar situation last year - kept getting laid off from different construction jobs. Had to call Washington ESD multiple times to check on my claim eligibility. If you're having trouble getting through to them, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me reach an agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful than sitting on hold for hours.

wait so there's really no limit?? i thought there was like a lifetime cap or something. i've already filed twice and was worried about filing again

The thing that trips people up is thinking they can't file again if they exhausted their previous claim. But exhausting benefits just means you used up that particular benefit year - it doesn't prevent you from filing a new claim based on recent work.

Just remember that each time you file, Washington ESD will determine your weekly benefit amount based on your most recent wages. So if you earned more in your recent job, your benefits might be higher than your previous claim.

Been through this multiple times myself. Construction work is feast or famine. The important thing is to file as soon as you become unemployed - don't wait thinking you can't because of previous claims.

What if you file but don't have enough wages? Do you get rejected completely or can you try again later?

I've filed unemployment 6 times over the past 15 years due to various layoffs and company closures. Never had any issues as long as I met the wage requirements. Washington's system is actually pretty fair about repeat claims.

The only thing I'd add is make sure you're reporting any severance pay correctly when you file. That can affect when your benefits start, but it won't prevent you from filing the claim.

Just to clarify - you can file unlimited times but you still have to meet all the other requirements like being able and available for work, actively seeking employment, etc. The number of previous claims doesn't matter for eligibility.

I had to use Claimyr again recently when I needed to verify my claim status for a new filing. The Washington ESD phone lines are still pretty backed up, but that service got me through to someone within a couple hours instead of calling all day.

does anyone know if working part time between claims affects your ability to file again? i worked a few part time jobs after my last claim ended

The real issue isn't how many times you can file, it's making sure you file correctly each time. I screwed up my second claim by not reporting some wages properly and had to deal with an overpayment mess.

Been filing on and off for years whenever I get laid off from seasonal work. Washington ESD has never given me any trouble about repeat claims. The system is designed for people who cycle in and out of employment.

One thing to remember is that if you're filing a new claim, you might be able to get benefits even if you have an old overpayment on your account. They'll just deduct from your weekly benefits to pay it back.

Bottom line - file whenever you become unemployed and meet the wage requirements. Don't let previous claims stop you from getting benefits you're entitled to.

I used that Claimyr service mentioned earlier when I had questions about filing my fourth unemployment claim. Really helped cut through the phone wait times. If you need to talk to Washington ESD about eligibility for repeat claims, definitely consider using them.

Just wanted to add that timing matters when you file. Don't wait too long after becoming unemployed because you can't get benefits for weeks before you actually file the claim, even if you were eligible.

Hope this all works out for you OP. Having multiple unemployment claims on your record isn't something to worry about - it just shows you've been working and paying into the system.