What are the requirements to file unemployment with Washington ESD?

You can definitely file for partial unemployment benefits in Washington if your hours were reduced. The main requirements are: 1) You must have worked and earned wages in Washington during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters), 2) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own, 3) You must be able and available for work, and 4) You must actively search for work. Since your hours were cut, that counts as involuntary unemployment.

just file online at esd.wa.gov its pretty straightforward. you'll need your social security number, employment history for the past 18 months, and reason for unemployment. if your hours got cut thats definitely a valid reason

I tried calling Washington ESD to ask about requirements but could never get through. The phone system is impossible! I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real person at ESD. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Totally worth it when you need to talk to someone about your specific situation.

You also need to meet the monetary requirements. Washington ESD requires that you earned at least $5,265 in your base period and at least $1,755 in your highest-earning quarter. If you don't meet the regular base period requirements, they can sometimes use an alternate base period (most recent 4 completed quarters).

Don't forget about the job search requirements! You have to actively look for work and keep a log of your job search activities. I think it's 3 job search activities per week but double check that.

I qualified but then got stuck in adjudication for weeks because they needed to verify my reason for leaving my last job. Make sure you have documentation about your hour reduction - emails from your employer, new schedule, anything that shows it wasn't your choice.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!! I've been trying to get through to ESD for MONTHS about my claim and they just keep giving me the runaround. These requirements are just the beginning - actually getting benefits is a whole other nightmare!

You'll also need to register with WorkSource Washington and keep your profile updated. That's part of the able and available requirement.

same situation here - hours got cut from 40 to 25 per week. filed last month and getting partial benefits. make sure you report your earnings from the part time work each week when you file your weekly claim

Make sure you file your claim right away - there's a waiting week before you can start collecting benefits, and you can't get benefits for weeks before you actually file your claim.

You mentioned you've been working for 18 months - that should definitely cover the base period requirements. The hardest part is usually proving you're unemployed through no fault of your own, but hour reduction due to business needs usually qualifies.

Pro tip: when you file online, take screenshots of everything! The system can be glitchy and you want proof of what you submitted and when.

I was in exactly your situation last year - hours cut from full to part time. The key things Washington ESD looks at are: sufficient wages in base period, involuntary unemployment (hour reduction counts), able and available for work, and active job search. Since you meet all those, you should be fine to file.

Don't forget you'll need to file weekly claims every week to continue getting benefits. It's not automatic - you have to certify each week that you're still unemployed and looking for work.

I had a friend who used Claimyr when she couldn't get through to ESD about her eligibility questions. She said it was really helpful for getting specific answers about her situation instead of just reading the general requirements online.

The most important thing is to file as soon as possible after your hours were reduced. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file, even if you were eligible during those weeks.