How many weeks do you need to work to collect Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Thanks! What exactly is a base year though? Is that just the last 12 months I worked?

The base year is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, your base year would be October 2023 through September 2024.

That's encouraging! Do you remember roughly how much you had earned during your base year?

I think it was around $8,000 total. Not a lot but it was enough to qualify for the minimum weekly benefit amount.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I discovered it last month when I was having the same problem getting through to Washington ESD. It's a service that helps you actually reach an agent - claimyr.com. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that explains how it works.

Never heard of that but I'm desperate at this point. Does it actually work or is it just another scam?

It worked for me. I was able to get through to Washington ESD within a few hours instead of spending days calling. Worth trying if you're stuck like I was.

There's probably more to your situation than just the work requirement. Did you get fired for misconduct? That would disqualify you regardless of how much you worked.

They said I violated company policy but it was total BS. I'm appealing but who knows how long that will take.

This is so confusing. Why can't they just make it simple like 'work X number of weeks and you qualify'?

I think it's because people's work schedules and pay rates vary so much. Using total wages gives everyone a fair shot whether they worked full-time, part-time, or had multiple jobs.

Multiple jobs absolutely count! Washington ESD looks at your total wages from all employers during your base year. It doesn't matter if you had one job or ten jobs.

sweet thanks. i was worried about that

Seasonal work patterns are totally fine as long as your total wages meet the threshold. Many people in Washington work seasonal jobs - construction, agriculture, tourism, etc. Washington ESD is used to handling these types of work histories.

Good to know! I was worried the gaps between jobs would be a problem.

My brother does construction and gets UI every winter when work slows down. Been doing it for years with no issues.

You can try to estimate using your pay stubs, but the easiest way is usually just to file. If you don't qualify, they'll let you know and there's no penalty for applying when you're not eligible.

If you want to double-check before filing, you could use Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD and ask an agent. Sometimes it's worth confirming if your situation is complicated.

That's a really important distinction. A lot of people don't realize that self-employment and contractor income usually doesn't make you eligible for regular unemployment benefits.

Yeah I learned that the hard way. Had to find other work pretty quickly when I realized I wouldn't get UI.

The requirements are pretty strict. If you're $50 short, you won't qualify under the standard test. But Washington does have an alternate base year option where they look at more recent wages if you don't qualify using the regular base year.

What's the alternate base year?

It uses the last four completed quarters instead of the first four of the last five. So more recent wages that might not be included in the regular base year calculation.

You might be thinking of the work search requirement once you're collecting benefits. To initially qualify, it's just about the wages during your base year, not recent hours worked.

There is a requirement that you have to be unemployed through no fault of your own though. So if you just quit without good cause you won't qualify even if you worked enough.

Same here! Glad I asked because I was way overthinking the requirements.

What's the maximum weekly benefit amount right now? I remember it being around $900 something but that might be outdated.

I think it's $999 per week for 2025, but most people get way less than the maximum. Your benefit is based on your highest earning quarter during the base year.

That's where standby benefits might come in though, right? If you're temporarily unable to work due to medical reasons?

I'm not sure about standby - that might be different from regular UI. Would need to check with Washington ESD about those specific situations.

It's really not that bad once you get into a routine. I just kept a simple spreadsheet with company names, positions applied for, and dates. Washington ESD doesn't usually audit unless there's a reason to.

That makes me feel better. I was imagining having to provide tons of documentation for every application.

If you meet the wage requirements, you meet the requirements. The amount of hours per week doesn't matter as long as your total wages are high enough and spread across at least two quarters.

I've seen people worry about this but Washington ESD is pretty straightforward about eligibility. They go by the numbers, not subjective judgments about whether you worked 'enough'.

Agreed! This community is great for getting real answers instead of trying to decode the official Washington ESD website.

Definitely bookmark this thread if you think you might need to reference it later. The eligibility rules don't change very often so this info should stay current.

I'm definitely going to try this if I have issues. The stories people tell about trying to reach Washington ESD by phone are pretty discouraging.

Yeah, the regular phone system is really frustrating. Claimyr takes that headache away - worth checking out their demo video if you're curious how it works.