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

You can apply immediately! Washington ESD actually recommends filing your unemployment claim as soon as possible after your last day of work. There's no waiting period to submit the initial application, and the sooner you file, the sooner your claim can be processed. You'll need your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment information for the past 18 months.

File today if you can! I made the mistake of waiting a week when I got laid off thinking I needed more paperwork, but that just delayed my benefits. The online application at esd.wa.gov is pretty straightforward and walks you through everything you need.

Just a heads up - even though you can apply right away, there IS a one-week waiting period before you can actually receive benefits. So your first payable week will be your second week of unemployment. But definitely file the claim itself ASAP.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD on the phone when I had questions about my application. If you run into issues or need to talk to someone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours!

make sure you have all your employer info ready - business name, address, phone number, dates of employment, reason for separation. the application asks for your work history going back 18 months so gather that info first

I'm going through this too right now - got laid off two weeks ago and filed immediately. My claim is still in adjudication though which is frustrating. At least I know I got the process started right away though!

Quick question - do you have to apply during business hours or can you do it anytime online? I'm wondering if I should wait until Monday or if I can just do it tonight.

Whatever you do, don't put off filing your weekly claims once your initial application is approved. I missed filing for one week and it was a huge hassle to get it reinstated. You have to file every week even if you haven't received your first payment yet.

One thing that caught me off guard - make sure your reason for separation is accurate on the application. I put 'laid off' but my employer reported it as 'lack of work' and it caused a delay while they verified the details.

I used Claimyr when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my claim being stuck. Really saved me a lot of frustration - they got me connected to an actual person who could help resolve the issue. Worth checking out if you run into problems.

Also keep in mind you'll need to start your job search requirement pretty quickly after filing. Washington ESD requires you to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a log of your search activities.

Filing online is definitely the way to go. I tried calling to file over the phone when I first got laid off and spent literally hours on hold. The website is much faster and you can do it at your own pace.

Just want to emphasize what others said about filing ASAP. There's no benefit to waiting and you could miss out on benefits if you delay too long. The application date becomes your claim start date, so every day you wait is potentially money lost.

One last tip - create an account on WorkSourceWA.com too if you haven't already. You'll need it for the job search requirements and it integrates with your unemployment claim.

Hope your claim goes smoothly! The waiting is the worst part but once you get through the initial processing it gets more routine. File early and often (your weekly claims) and you should be good to go.

I went through this exact same situation last year after getting laid off from my tech job. The key thing is to file immediately - don't second guess yourself! I filed the day after my last day of work and was glad I did because the whole process took longer than expected. Make sure you have your Social Security card handy and write down all your previous employer info before you start the application. The online system will time out if you take too long gathering documents mid-application. Also, set up direct deposit right away so you don't have to wait for checks in the mail once your benefits start. Good luck!