How much do you have to make to qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington?

Washington ESD looks at your earnings during your base period which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. You need to have earned wages in at least 2 quarters during your base period and your total base period wages must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter wages. There's also a minimum threshold - I think it's around $3,800 total in your base period but don't quote me on that exact number.

yeah the wage requirements are confusing but basically you need to have made enough money and worked enough to show you had steady employment. if you worked part time for 8 months you might be okay depending on how much you earned each quarter

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I had questions about my wage requirements. Their phone lines are always busy and the website doesn't give clear examples. I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to ESD agents - they have a website at claimyr.com and there's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. It was way easier than trying to call on my own.

The monetary eligibility requirements are actually pretty straightforward once you understand them. You need earnings in at least 2 quarters of your base period, and your total base period earnings need to be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter. So if your highest quarter was $2,000, you'd need at least $3,000 total in your base period. Plus there's a minimum earnings threshold that changes annually.

I was in a similar situation - worked part time and wasn't sure if I qualified. The best thing to do is just apply and let Washington ESD determine your eligibility. They'll send you a monetary determination letter that shows exactly how much you earned in each quarter and whether you meet the requirements.

Washington ESD's wage requirements are designed to ensure you had substantial employment before claiming benefits. The 1.5x rule exists to prevent people who worked very briefly from collecting. If you worked consistently for 8 months, you probably have a good chance of qualifying, especially if your earnings were spread across multiple quarters.

honestly the whole system is confusing and they don't make it easy to understand. I spent forever trying to figure out if I qualified before just applying. save yourself the headache and just file the claim

One thing to keep in mind is that Washington ESD also looks at the reason you're unemployed, not just your wage history. You need to be unemployed through no fault of your own - like layoffs, reduction in hours, or other qualifying reasons. Just wanted to mention that since wage requirements are only part of the eligibility puzzle.

For 2025, I believe the minimum base period earnings requirement is around $4,000, but don't hold me to that exact figure. The amount changes each year based on the state's average weekly wage calculations. You can find the current year's requirements on the Washington ESD website under 'Monetary Eligibility.

Another thing about reaching Washington ESD - I mentioned Claimyr earlier and it really was a game changer for getting my questions answered. The regular phone lines are impossible to get through to, especially when you have specific questions about wage calculations. Their agents can walk you through exactly how your earnings will be calculated.

The quarterly earnings distribution is really important. If you made $6,000 total but it was all in one quarter, you might not qualify even though you meet the minimum earnings threshold. Washington ESD wants to see that you had ongoing employment, not just a brief period of high earnings.

Just want to echo what others have said - don't overthink it too much. Washington ESD has all your wage information from your employers anyway, so they'll calculate everything automatically when you apply. The application process will tell you right away if you meet the monetary requirements.

Something else to consider - if you don't meet the regular base period requirements, Washington ESD can sometimes use an alternate base period which includes more recent earnings. This might help if you had a gap in employment or your earnings pattern doesn't fit the standard base period.

The whole unemployment system is set up to make it hard for people to get benefits. They make the requirements confusing on purpose so people give up and don't apply. Don't let them intimidate you - if you worked and paid into the system, you deserve to know if you qualify.

To wrap this up with some concrete advice: Apply for benefits if you think you might qualify. Washington ESD will send you a monetary determination letter within a few days that shows exactly how your wages were calculated and whether you meet the requirements. If you don't qualify initially, you can appeal or explore other options.