How to qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington state - confused about eligibility requirements
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD but I'm getting mixed information online. I worked for 18 months at my last job before getting laid off due to company downsizing. I made about $45,000 annually. From what I can tell, there's something about needing enough wages in your 'base year' but I don't understand how that's calculated. Also saw something about needing to work a certain number of hours? Can someone break down the actual requirements to qualify for unemployment in Washington? I don't want to file if I'm not eligible and cause problems later.
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Miguel Silva
The main requirements for Washington ESD unemployment eligibility are pretty straightforward. You need to have earned wages in at least two quarters of your base year (which is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed). You also need to have earned at least $5,265 total in your base year AND at least $1,755 in your highest earning quarter. Since you worked 18 months and made $45k, you should easily meet the wage requirements.
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Ava Garcia
•Thank you! That helps clarify the wage part. What about the work hour requirements I keep seeing mentioned?
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Miguel Silva
•You need to have worked at least 680 hours during your base year. With 18 months of full-time work, you definitely have that covered too.
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Zainab Ismail
Don't forget you also have to be able and available for work, actively seeking work, and register with WorkSource. The job search requirement is 3 job search activities per week once you start claiming.
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Ava Garcia
•What counts as a job search activity? Is it just applying for jobs or are there other things?
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Zainab Ismail
•Job applications count, but so do things like attending job fairs, networking events, career counseling sessions, or even creating/updating your LinkedIn profile. Washington ESD has a list of approved activities.
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Connor O'Neill
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask these questions directly, I recently discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helps you actually reach an agent by phone. They have this demo video that shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Saved me hours of trying to call and getting busy signals.
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Ava Garcia
•How does that work exactly? Do they call for you or something?
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Connor O'Neill
•They basically handle the waiting and calling process, then connect you directly to a Washington ESD representative when one becomes available. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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QuantumQuester
•Interesting, I might need to try that. I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for weeks about my claim status.
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Yara Nassar
wait i thought you had to be fired to get unemployment?? i got laid off too but everyone told me layoffs don't count
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Miguel Silva
•That's not correct. Layoffs definitely qualify for unemployment benefits. You just can't have been fired for misconduct or quit without good cause.
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Yara Nassar
•oh wow really? i should have filed months ago then. i thought only people who got fired for no reason qualified
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Keisha Williams
The system is so confusing honestly. I worked part-time for two years, about 25 hours a week, and when I applied they said I didn't have enough wages even though I worked consistently. Apparently part-time wages sometimes don't add up to their minimums.
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Miguel Silva
•That can happen with part-time work depending on your hourly wage. The $5,265 minimum in your base year can be tough to hit if you're working fewer hours at lower wages.
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Keisha Williams
•Yeah exactly. I was making $15/hour so I thought I'd be fine but the math didn't work out. Wish I'd known before I lost my job.
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Paolo Ricci
Another thing - make sure you didn't quit your job. If you quit voluntarily, you generally won't qualify unless you had 'good cause' which is pretty specific under Washington law.
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Ava Garcia
•What qualifies as good cause for quitting?
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Paolo Ricci
•Things like harassment, unsafe working conditions, significant changes to your job duties or schedule, domestic violence situations. It's a pretty narrow list and you have to prove it.
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Amina Toure
I HATE how complicated they make this whole process!!! Why can't they just have a simple checklist somewhere that tells you yes or no if you qualify? Instead you have to dig through pages of legal jargon to figure out basic eligibility.
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Zainab Ismail
•I agree it's frustrating. The Washington ESD website does have an eligibility checklist but it's buried pretty deep in their site navigation.
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Amina Toure
•OF COURSE it's buried! They probably don't want people to find it easily so fewer people apply 🙄
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Oliver Zimmermann
Just file and let them determine eligibility. If you worked full-time for 18 months and got laid off, you almost certainly qualify. The worst they can do is say no.
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Ava Garcia
•Is there any downside to filing if you're not sure you qualify?
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Miguel Silva
•Not really. If you don't qualify, they'll just deny your claim. There's no penalty for applying when you're not eligible as long as you're honest about your work history and reason for unemployment.
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CosmicCommander
One more thing to consider - when you worked matters too. Your base year is calculated from when you file, not when you lost your job. So if there's a gap between losing your job and filing, it might affect which quarters count toward your base year wages.
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Ava Garcia
•I got laid off last month and I'm filing this week. Should that be fine timing-wise?
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CosmicCommander
•Yeah, a month gap shouldn't matter at all for your base year calculation. You're good to go.
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Natasha Volkova
dont forget about the waiting week! theres no waiting week anymore in washington but some people still think there is
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Ava Garcia
•What's a waiting week?
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Natasha Volkova
•it used to be that your first week of unemployment you wouldn't get paid even if you qualified. but washington eliminated that a few years ago so you get paid starting with your first eligible week
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Javier Torres
My cousin tried using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and said it was a lifesaver. She'd been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about some issue with her weekly claim and Claimyr got her connected to an agent the same day she tried it.
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QuantumQuester
•That's exactly what I need. I've been calling Washington ESD every day for two weeks and either get a busy signal or get disconnected after waiting on hold forever.
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Javier Torres
•Yeah, that's what she was dealing with too. The regular phone system is basically impossible to get through on.
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Emma Davis
Make sure when you file that you have all your employment info ready - dates of employment, reason for separation, employer contact info, etc. Washington ESD will verify everything with your employer so make sure you're accurate.
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Ava Garcia
•How long does that verification process usually take?
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Emma Davis
•Depends on how quickly your employer responds to Washington ESD's request for information. Usually 1-2 weeks but can be longer if there are complications or if your employer is slow to respond.
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Malik Johnson
also remember you have to file within a certain time after losing your job or you might lose benefits for those weeks
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Ava Garcia
•How long do you have to file after losing your job?
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Miguel Silva
•You should file as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file your initial claim, so every week you wait is a week of potential benefits you lose.
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Isabella Ferreira
The income requirements can be tricky if you had multiple jobs or gaps in employment. Washington ESD looks at your total wages across all employers during your base year, not just your most recent job.
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Ava Garcia
•That's good to know. I had a brief part-time job before my main job, so hopefully that helps with the wage requirements.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Yes, every dollar counts toward your base year wages, so having multiple jobs usually helps you qualify more easily.
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Ravi Sharma
Quick question - do you have to be a Washington resident to get Washington ESD benefits or just have worked in Washington?
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Miguel Silva
•You need to have worked in Washington and earned wages subject to Washington unemployment tax. Residency doesn't matter - you can live in another state and still collect Washington unemployment if you worked here.
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Ravi Sharma
•Thanks! I live in Oregon but worked in Washington so I wasn't sure which state to file with.
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NebulaNomad
From your description @OP, you definitely qualify. $45k over 18 months of full-time work, laid off through no fault of your own - that's textbook unemployment eligibility. Just file your claim online at esd.wa.gov and get the process started.
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Ava Garcia
•Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much more confident about filing now. Going to do it this afternoon.
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NebulaNomad
•Good luck! The online application is pretty straightforward once you have all your employment information ready.
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Freya Thomsen
One last tip - if you run into any issues during the application process or afterward, don't hesitate to call Washington ESD for help. Yeah, it can be hard to get through, but the agents are usually pretty helpful once you reach them. Or try that Claimyr thing if the regular phone lines aren't working.
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Omar Fawaz
•Claimyr really does work well. I was skeptical at first but it saved me so much frustration trying to reach Washington ESD the normal way.
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Ava Garcia
•I'll definitely keep that in mind if I need to talk to someone about my claim. Thanks again everyone!
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Zara Rashid
Just wanted to add that if you're still employed but expecting a layoff, you can't file for unemployment until you're actually unemployed. I made that mistake thinking I could get ahead of it when my company announced layoffs were coming in a few weeks. Washington ESD told me I had to wait until my last day of work to file. Also, make sure you keep documentation of your layoff - termination letter, final paycheck stub, etc. It can help speed up the verification process.
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