Washington ESD how to sign up for unemployment - first time filing

You'll need to file your initial claim online at esd.wa.gov. Have your Social Security number, driver's license, and employment history for the last 18 months ready. You'll need employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation for each job.

Make sure you file as soon as possible! Your benefit year starts the Sunday of the week you file, not when you lost your job. I waited a week and lost out on that first week of benefits.

The Washington ESD system can be really frustrating when you're trying to reach someone about your claim status. I spent weeks calling and getting busy signals or getting hung up on after being on hold forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me through to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

After you file your initial claim, you'll need to file weekly claims every week to get paid. Even if your claim is still pending adjudication, keep filing those weekly claims or you'll lose those weeks.

ugh the whole system is such a nightmare!! took me 6 weeks to get my first payment and that was after calling every single day

Don't forget you'll need to do job search activities once your claim is approved. Washington requires 3 job search activities per week and you have to log them in your WorkSource account.

Make sure you answer all the weekly claim questions honestly, especially about any work you did that week. Even if you only worked a few hours, you need to report it. Washington ESD will reduce your benefits accordingly but lying about it can disqualify you entirely.

Just went through this process last month. The online application took me about 45 minutes because I had to dig up all my employment info. Pro tip: have your last employer's federal tax ID number if you can find it on old paystubs.

Your benefit amount will be based on earnings from your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters. So if you file now in 2025, they'll look at your 2024 earnings to determine your weekly benefit amount.

whatever you do dont trust the phone system when it says your estimated wait time. it told me 15 minutes and i waited 3 hours before giving up

You should receive a monetary determination letter within a week or two of filing that shows your weekly benefit amount and how many weeks you can collect. Keep this letter safe - you'll need it if any issues come up later.

I remember being so confused about the difference between filing my initial claim and filing weekly claims. Make sure you understand that filing your initial claim is just step one - you have to keep filing every week to actually get paid.

also make sure you check your messages in the system regularly!! i missed an important request for information and it delayed my claim for weeks

One thing nobody tells you is that if you quit your job, you might not qualify unless you had "good cause." Good cause includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job duties. Just being unhappy usually doesn't count.

The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington for 2025 is around $1015, but most people get way less than that. It's based on your earnings history so don't expect to get the maximum unless you were making really good money.

If you end up needing to appeal a decision later, don't wait! You only have 30 days from the date on the determination letter to file an appeal. I learned this the hard way when I missed the deadline.

Just want to mention again that if you do run into problems and need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD, Claimyr really does work. I was skeptical at first but it saved me so much frustration when my claim got stuck in adjudication.

Good luck with everything! The process seems overwhelming but once you get your first payment it gets easier. Just stay on top of your weekly claims and job search requirements.

Oh and one more thing - make sure you're available for work and actively seeking employment. If you're planning to go back to school full-time or take an extended vacation, you might not be eligible during those periods.

The whole system is pretty straightforward once you get used to it. I've been filing weekly claims for 8 weeks now and it takes maybe 5 minutes each Sunday. The hardest part is really just that initial application.