What constitutes unemployment for Washington ESD benefits - confused about eligibility

You can definitely still qualify for partial unemployment benefits with that part-time income! Washington ESD allows you to work part-time and still receive benefits as long as you report all earnings on your weekly claims. The key is being unemployed or underemployed through no fault of your own. Since you were laid off from your main job, that should qualify you.

The basic rule is you have to be unemployed through no fault of your own. Layoffs, company closures, lack of work - those all qualify. If you quit without good cause or get fired for misconduct, that's where it gets tricky and you might be disqualified.

I went through this same confusion last year. You also need to meet the base period earnings requirement - basically you need to have earned enough wages in covered employment during a specific time period. For me, trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask questions was impossible until I found claimyr.com - they actually got me connected to an agent who explained everything clearly. There's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

Just to add - you also have to be able and available for work. That means you can't be on vacation, in school full-time, or have other commitments that prevent you from accepting suitable work. And you'll need to do job search activities every week.

ugh the whole system is so confusing!! I've been trying to figure this out for weeks and every website says something different. Why can't they just make it simple???

Don't forget about the waiting week! Even if you qualify, you won't get paid for your first week of benefits. It's like a one-week penalty that everyone has to serve.

I was in a similar situation with part-time work. The thing that helped me was understanding that Washington ESD looks at your 'total unemployment' vs 'partial unemployment.' Total is when you have no work at all, partial is when you're working reduced hours or earning less than your weekly benefit amount.

The Washington ESD also considers whether you're available for your 'usual occupation.' Since you were in retail, you'd need to be available for similar retail positions, not just any job.

Another thing - if you're collecting unemployment, you can't turn down suitable work without good reason. So if someone offers you a retail position that pays decently, you generally have to take it or risk losing your benefits.

I'm dealing with something similar but I quit my job because of medical issues. Does that count as good cause? I have doctors notes and everything.

Just want to throw this out there - I had a really hard time getting through to Washington ESD when I had questions about my eligibility. Someone on here mentioned Claimyr and it was a game changer. Instead of spending hours on hold, I got connected to an actual person who could look up my claim and answer my specific questions.

Something else to consider - if you're getting any severance pay from your previous employer, that might affect when your benefits start. Washington ESD treats severance differently depending on how it's paid out.

The hardest part for me was understanding that you have to actively file weekly claims even if you haven't heard back about your initial application. I almost missed weeks because I thought I had to wait for approval first.

Don't forget about the work search requirements too. You'll need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and log them in WorkSourceWA. This includes applying for jobs, contacting employers, attending job fairs, etc.

I went through the exact same confusion about part-time work. The Washington ESD formula is pretty straightforward once you understand it - they subtract your weekly earnings from your benefit amount, but you can earn up to a certain threshold before it affects your benefits at all.

Just wanted to add that the definition of 'unemployment' for benefits is different from just not having a job. You have to meet specific eligibility criteria, maintain availability for work, and follow all the requirements. It's not automatic even if you get laid off.