What do you have to do to qualify for unemployment in Washington state?

The basic requirements for Washington unemployment are pretty straightforward. You need to have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters). You also need to be unemployed through no fault of your own, able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work. Since you were laid off, that should meet the 'no fault of your own' requirement.

also make sure you file your weekly claims every week even if you haven't heard back about your initial application yet. i made that mistake and it delayed everything

I had so much trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I was trying to figure out my eligibility. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent in like 10 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to call the regular number.

The wage requirement is probably the most confusing part. You need to have earned at least $4,235 total during your base period AND at least $2,118 in your highest earning quarter. With 8 months at one job and 6 months at another, you should easily meet this if you were working full time.

Just want to add that if you quit your previous job voluntarily, that could affect your eligibility depending on the reason. Being laid off from your most recent job is good though.

Don't forget you also have to register with WorkSource Washington for job search assistance. It's required as part of the eligibility.

THE SYSTEM IS SO COMPLICATED FOR NO REASON!!! why cant they just make it simple - if you lose your job you should automatically get help. period.

One thing to watch out for - make sure you report any severance pay or vacation payout you got when you were laid off. That can affect when your benefits start.

I've been on unemployment twice and the hardest part is always getting through to talk to someone when you have questions. That Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier actually worked for me too. Saved me like 3 hours of calling.

also just fyi the weekly job search requirements can be waived in certain situations like if you're on temporary layoff with a specific return date

Make sure when you file your claim that you have all your employer information handy - names, addresses, dates of employment, reason for separation. Having that ready makes the application go much faster.

The other thing nobody mentions is that you have to be physically able to work. If you have any medical conditions that prevent you from working, you might not qualify for regular unemployment.

honestly the Washington ESD website has most of this info but its buried in like 50 different pages. wish they would just put together one simple checklist

One more thing - if you worked in another state during your base period, you might need to file an interstate claim. But since you mentioned both jobs were warehouse work, I'm assuming they were both in Washington.

Quick summary for you: 1) File your initial claim ASAP 2) Register with WorkSource 3) File weekly claims every week 4) Do 3 job search activities per week 5) Report any income. That covers the basics.

I had a friend who used that Claimyr service when she was having trouble reaching Washington ESD about her eligibility questions. She said it was super easy and finally got her answers about her claim status. Might be worth trying if you run into issues.