How many weeks work to get unemployment benefits in Washington?

Oh wow, I had no idea it was based on quarters! That makes more sense. I think I worked in 3 of the last 5 quarters so I should be good on that part.

yeah the quarter thing trips up a lot of people, I thought it was just about having a job for X weeks too

That's a relief about the gaps not mattering! I was really worried about that.

Wait, so if I file in February, they look at different quarters? This is confusing...

Exactly - the base period shifts depending on when you file. It's always the first four of the last five completed quarters.

I actually found a service called Claimyr that helps get through to Washington ESD agents. They handle the calling for you - check out claimyr.com. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of waiting on hold.

Oh interesting, I'll check that out. Getting through to someone who can actually look at my account would be huge.

30 hours a week for 6 months sounds like you'd definitely meet the earnings requirement. You should apply! The worst they can say is no, and you won't know until you try.

Definitely apply. Even if you start looking for work immediately, you can still collect benefits while job searching. That's literally what unemployment is for.

Ok you're right, I'm going to apply today. Thanks for the encouragement!

What's the difference between regular and alternate base period?

regular is first 4 of last 5 quarters, alternate is the most recent 4 completed quarters. alternate base period can help if you had more recent work

Good idea! I'll look for that calculator. Do you remember where on the site it is?

It's under the 'Before You Apply' section I think. Pretty straightforward to use.

I get the frustration, but the quarter system actually makes sense because it ensures people have substantial work history, not just a few weeks here and there.

I guess that makes sense... still annoying though when you're stressed about money and trying to figure out if you qualify

How long did it take to find out if you were approved?

About a week for the initial determination. Then had to do the job search stuff but that's standard.

Yeah I'm definitely able and available! Just need to know I can afford to take time to find the right job instead of grabbing the first thing I see.

That's exactly what unemployment is for - giving you time to find appropriate work instead of just any work

That's encouraging! I think my total earnings should be enough, just wasn't sure about the irregular schedule part.

Yeah irregular is fine as long as you hit the minimums. I was worried about the same thing.

Good point! I'll gather all that info before I start the application.

Good to know there's an appeal process if needed. Hopefully it won't come to that though!

Yeah I tried Claimyr after seeing it mentioned here and finally got to talk to someone! They confirmed I qualify and helped me understand the process.

Nice! It's such a relief when you can actually talk to a real person who can look at your specific situation.

You're absolutely right. I'm going to apply this afternoon. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!

Got it, I'll make sure to stay on top of the weekly claims if I get approved. Thanks for the reminder!

Thank you! I feel much more confident about applying now after all this helpful advice.

Glad it helped you too! Seems like a lot of people get confused about the quarter system vs. just counting weeks.

Thanks for that tip! I'll bookmark that section for future reference.

Awesome! Glad it worked out for you. See, sometimes the system actually works like it's supposed to.

Congrats! Now you can take your time finding a good job instead of stressing about rent money.