How soon can I apply for unemployment after being laid off in Washington?

You can file your initial claim immediately after your last day of work. Don't wait! The sooner you file, the sooner your claim can be processed. Your severance might affect when you can actually collect benefits, but you should still file the claim right away.

File ASAP but heads up - if you got severance pay you might have a waiting period before benefits start. When I got laid off in 2023 my severance delayed my first payment by 3 weeks.

The key thing is filing within the first week after your separation. There's no benefit to waiting and it could potentially hurt your claim. Go to esd.wa.gov and start your application. You'll need your Social Security number, employment history for the last 18 months, and reason for separation details.

OP if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD by phone to ask questions about your claim, I found this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

been there! filed mine the day after I got canned and it took about 2 weeks to get approved. severance didn't delay me much since it was only 1 week worth

One more important point - make sure you understand the difference between your last day of work and your separation date for UI purposes. Sometimes they're different depending on how severance is structured.

The Washington ESD system is so confusing for first timers. I remember being overwhelmed when I had to file. Make sure you save copies of everything you submit!

Manufacturing layoffs are usually pretty straightforward for unemployment approval since it's clearly not your fault. Your employer will likely not contest the claim either since they initiated the layoff.

Don't forget you'll need to register with WorkSource too for the job search requirements. They're pretty strict about that part in Washington.

Also just FYI the online system crashes sometimes during peak hours. Try filing early morning or late evening if you run into issues.

Wait so if I have severance I still file weekly claims even though I'm not getting paid unemployment yet?? That seems weird...

For anyone struggling to reach Washington ESD agents about claim questions, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier worked great when my claim got stuck in adjudication. Much better than the endless busy signals.

Manufacturing industry has been brutal lately. Sorry you got caught up in the downsizing. At least unemployment should be straightforward for you.

One last thing - when you file make sure to select 'lack of work' or 'layoff' as your separation reason, not 'quit' or anything else. The reason code affects processing time and approval.

The severance thing is so annoying. Like why punish people for getting a little cushion from their employer??

File today! I made the mistake of waiting a week when I got laid off and it just delayed everything unnecessarily.

Good luck OP! The process isn't too bad once you get started. Just stay on top of the weekly claims and job search requirements.

Final reminder - keep detailed records of everything related to your layoff and unemployment claim. Documentation is key if any issues come up during processing.

The manufacturing industry layoffs have been brutal this year. Hope you find something soon!

Don't stress too much about the severance delay. It goes by faster than you think and then you'll have steady UI payments while job hunting.