How many weeks of work to collect unemployment benefits in Washington?

It's not really about weeks of work, it's about earnings. You need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period and meet minimum wage requirements. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file.

The specific requirement is that you need to have earned at least 680 hours worth of wages OR earned wages in at least 680 hours during your base period. But honestly, Washington ESD's eligibility calculator on their website is your best bet to check if you qualify.

I had a similar situation last year - worked part time for like 6 months and was worried I wouldn't qualify. Turns out I did because I had some full-time work earlier in my base period that I forgot about. You might want to look back further than just your recent work.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify your eligibility, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach an agent by phone. They have this demo video (https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ) that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.

wait I thought you needed to work for a full year to get unemployment? that's what my friend told me

Just to clarify the numbers - you need to have earned wages equal to at least 680 times the state minimum wage during your base period, AND you need wages in at least two quarters of that base period. So for 2025 that's about $11,220 total minimum.

The Washington ESD website has all this info but it's buried in like 50 different pages. basically you need wages in 2+ quarters and meet the earnings threshold. part time work totally counts as long as you hit those numbers.

I've been working gig jobs for the past year, does that count toward the work requirements? I have 1099s from multiple companies.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you qualify based on work history, you still need to be available for work and actively searching for jobs. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week.

If you're close to qualifying but not quite there, you might want to work a little longer before filing. The base period shifts each quarter so waiting might help you include higher-earning quarters.

The whole system is so confusing!! I worked for 8 months straight and they told me I didn't qualify because my base period was weird. Had to appeal and everything.

honestly just file and let them figure it out. the worst they can say is no and then you know for sure. the application process will walk you through entering all your work history.

I used Claimyr when I needed to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my base period calculation. They got me through to an agent who explained everything clearly. Definitely worth it if you're confused about your eligibility.

One more thing - make sure you have all your employer information ready when you file. You'll need names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation for each job in your base period.

if you worked part time for 8 months you probably qualify unless you were making like minimum wage for just a few hours a week

The key thing is having W-2 wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period. If you've been working part-time for 8 months, you should easily meet that requirement.

Washington ESD also has a monetary determination they'll send you after you file that shows exactly how they calculated your benefits. That will tell you if you qualified and for how much.

I was in a similar boat and ended up calling Washington ESD through Claimyr to get a clear answer about my eligibility before filing. The agent was able to look at my work history and confirm I qualified. Saved me from filing incorrectly.

Bottom line - if you've been working part-time for 8 months at decent wages, you almost certainly qualify. The work requirement isn't as strict as people think.

good luck with your claim! the hardest part is usually just getting started with the application process