How much do you need to earn to qualify for unemployment in Washington?

You need to have earned at least $4,000 in your base period to qualify for Washington unemployment benefits. Your base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be January 2024 through December 2024.

Thanks! So it's $4,000 total over those four quarters, not per quarter? That makes more sense.

Yeah exactly, it's $4k total. Plus you need to have earned at least $1,000 in at least two different quarters of your base period.

There's actually a second requirement too - you need to earn at least 680 times the minimum wage during your base period. With Washington's minimum wage at $16.28 in 2025, that comes out to about $11,070. So really you need to meet BOTH the $4,000 requirement AND the 680 times minimum wage requirement.

Wait, so it's $11,070 not $4,000? I'm getting confused now.

You have to meet both requirements. The higher one ($11,070) is what actually matters for most people. Sorry for the confusion!

This is why the Washington ESD system is so confusing. They should just pick one number and stick with it.

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about this exact same thing. Their phone lines are always busy and when I do get through I get disconnected. Has anyone found a better way to reach them?

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents without all the waiting and disconnections. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works.

That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate at this point. I'll check it out.

claimyr actually worked for me! got connected to someone at washington esd in like 10 minutes instead of calling for hours

Based on what you're saying about $1,200-1,400 per month for 8 months, you should be fine. That's roughly $9,600-11,200 total which meets the requirements. The tricky part is making sure those earnings are in the right quarters for your base period.

How do I figure out what quarters my earnings were in? I started working in March 2024.

If you started in March 2024 and file now, your base period would be Q1 2024 (Jan-Mar), Q2 2024 (Apr-Jun), Q3 2024 (Jul-Sep), and Q4 2024 (Oct-Dec). So you'd have earnings in at least 3 of those quarters.

The whole system is designed to keep people from getting benefits. They make the requirements so confusing that half the people who qualify don't even bother applying. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get help when we lose our jobs.

I hear you but at least Washington has better benefits than a lot of other states. The requirements aren't that bad once you understand them.

Easy to say when you're not struggling to pay rent and trying to decipher all this bureaucratic nonsense.

The requirements exist to prevent fraud and make sure the system is sustainable. But I agree they could be explained more clearly.

Don't forget about the job search requirements too. Even if you qualify based on earnings, you'll need to be actively looking for work and document your job search activities.

What kind of job search activities do they require?

You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log. This includes things like applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking activities, etc.

I was in a similar situation last year - part time work but wasn't sure if I had enough earnings. Turned out I qualified for about $180 per week which was way less than I hoped but better than nothing.

How did you find out your benefit amount? Do they tell you when you apply?

Yeah, once you file your initial claim they'll send you a determination letter with your weekly benefit amount. It's based on your highest quarter earnings in your base period.

The formula is roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages, divided by 52 weeks, but there are minimum and maximum amounts too.

Just apply online through the Washington ESD website. The system will automatically calculate whether you qualify based on your reported wages. No point in trying to figure it out yourself when they can just tell you.

True, I guess I'm overthinking this. I'll just file the claim and see what happens.

That's what I did. Better to apply and get rejected than not apply and miss out on benefits you might have qualified for.

Make sure you apply as soon as possible! There's a waiting period and benefits don't backdate to when you first became unemployed, only to when you file your claim.

Good point, I'll file this week. Thanks everyone for the help!

Also remember to file your weekly claims every week once you get approved, even if you're still waiting for your first payment.

I had issues getting through to Washington ESD too until someone recommended Claimyr to me. It's been a lifesaver for getting quick answers about my claim status and eligibility questions.

How much does that service cost? Seems like something Washington ESD should provide for free.

It's worth it when you're spending hours trying to get through on your own. The peace of mind of actually talking to someone at Washington ESD is huge.

Anyone know if gig work counts toward the earnings requirement? I did some DoorDash and Uber on top of my regular job.

Gig work counts if you paid into the unemployment system as a contractor or if your gig company treated you as an employee. Most gig workers are independent contractors though, so it usually doesn't count.

Damn, that's probably another $2,000 in earnings that won't count then.

Check your tax documents - if you got a W-2 instead of a 1099, then those earnings would count toward your eligibility.

The earnings requirements change every year based on the minimum wage, so make sure you're looking at current information. What was true in 2023 might not apply now.

Good reminder. I was looking at some older forum posts earlier and the numbers were different.

Yeah, always check the official Washington ESD website for the most current requirements. They update it annually.

this whole thread is making me realize i probably qualified for unemployment when i got laid off last year but never applied because i thought i hadn't worked enough. ugh.

You might still be able to apply if it was recent enough. There are time limits but it's worth checking.

it was like 8 months ago so probably too late now. live and learn i guess

For what it's worth, even if you barely qualify, the minimum weekly benefit amount in Washington is pretty decent compared to other states. I think it's around $295 per week minimum.

That would actually help a lot with my rent and groceries while I look for something full-time.

The maximum is over $900 per week too, so if you had higher earnings in your base period you could get quite a bit.

One more thing - if you don't qualify for regular unemployment, you might still qualify for other programs. There's also state disability if you can't work due to illness or injury.

Good to know, though hopefully I won't need that. Just trying to get through this rough patch with reduced hours.

Also look into local assistance programs for rent and utilities if money is tight. Many counties have emergency assistance programs.