Washington ESD denied my unemployment claim - what are the reasons unemployment can be denied?

There are several common reasons Washington ESD denies unemployment claims. The main ones include: not earning enough wages during your base period, quitting without good cause, being fired for misconduct, not being able and available for work, or not actively searching for jobs. Since you were laid off due to store closure, that shouldn't be an issue. Did you work the full 8 months or were there any gaps? Also check if you earned at least $1,000 in your base period.

ugh the same thing happened to me last year and it was SO frustrating trying to figure out why. turned out they thought i quit when i was actually laid off because my employer reported it wrong to washington esd. you might need to call them to straighten this out but good luck getting through on the phone!!

The most common reasons for denial are: 1) Insufficient earnings in base period 2) Voluntary quit without good cause 3) Discharge for misconduct 4) Not able/available for work 5) Failure to register with WorkSource 6) Not actively seeking work. Since you were laid off due to business closure, focus on whether you met the monetary requirements and if your employer correctly reported the separation reason.

WASHINGTON ESD DENIES CLAIMS FOR THE STUPIDEST REASONS!! They denied mine because I 'wasn't available for work' even though I was actively looking and available full time. Their system is broken and they look for any excuse to deny benefits. You need to appeal this immediately - you only have 30 days from the determination date!

Check if there's a specific denial reason code on your determination letter. Some common ones: Code 1001 means insufficient wages, Code 1050 means voluntary quit, Code 1045 means discharge for misconduct, Code 1235 means not available for work. Each code has different appeal strategies.

Something similar happened to my neighbor - she got denied even though she was clearly eligible. Turns out her previous employer had reported that she quit when she was actually laid off. The employer was trying to avoid paying higher unemployment taxes. You might want to check what your employer reported to Washington ESD.

wait are you sure you filed during the right time period? i know someone who got denied because they waited too long to file after losing their job. you have to file within a certain timeframe or they can deny you

Did you make sure to register with WorkSource WA? That's required and a lot of people miss that step. Also if you're not actively looking for work or can't work for some reason (like no childcare), that can get you denied too.

Don't panic yet! Denials happen all the time and many get overturned on appeal. I've seen cases where Washington ESD denied claims for technical reasons that were easily fixed. The key is to act quickly and gather your documentation. If you can prove you were laid off through no fault of your own and meet the wage requirements, you should win your appeal.

honestly if you need to talk to someone at washington esd about this claimyr is the way to go. i was so frustrated trying to get through on my own and they made it super easy. worth checking out their demo video to see if it would help your situation

The system is designed to deny first and ask questions later. They know most people won't appeal so they save money by denying valid claims. It's disgusting but that's how it works.

Check your base period wages carefully. Your base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. So if you filed in January 2025, your base period would be January-December 2024. Make sure your wages from that retail job fall within your base period.

same thing happened to me - got denied even though i was laid off. turned out my employer marked it as job abandonment instead of layoff. had to appeal and provide documentation that i was actually laid off due to business closure. won the appeal but it took 6 weeks

Make sure you continue filing your weekly claims even while appealing! A lot of people think they should stop filing but you need to keep filing to preserve your eligibility for those weeks.

Another reason they deny claims is if you have any disqualifying income during the week you're claiming. Even small amounts from odd jobs or gig work can cause issues if not reported properly.

The appeal process isn't as scary as it sounds. You can usually do it online and just explain your situation in plain English. Include copies of any relevant documents and be honest about what happened.

Pro tip: if you do end up needing to call Washington ESD, try calling right when they open at 8am or during lunch hours. Those times seem to have shorter wait times.

Don't give up! I know the denial is discouraging but many people successfully appeal these decisions. The important thing is to act quickly and not let the 30-day deadline pass.

Update us on how the appeal goes! These threads help other people in similar situations understand the process better.