What does it take to get unemployment benefits through Washington ESD?

You can definitely file for partial unemployment if your hours were significantly reduced. Washington ESD allows claims when you're working less than full-time through no fault of your own. You'll need your Social Security number, employment history for the last 18 months including employer names and addresses, and your gross wages for each job. The key requirements are that you must be able and available for work, actively seeking employment, and have earned enough wages during your base period.

The base period calculation is important too - they look at the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. You need to have earned at least $1,300 in your highest-earning quarter and total wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings. So if you made $2,000 in your best quarter, you'd need at least $3,000 total.

honestly the hardest part is just getting through to someone at Washington ESD to ask questions. i've been trying to call for weeks and either get busy signals or get disconnected after waiting forever. their website has info but sometimes you need to talk to a real person

Don't forget you can't quit your job voluntarily and expect to get unemployment. It has to be involuntary separation like layoffs, hour reductions, or being fired for non-misconduct reasons. If you quit, you'll likely be disqualified unless it was for good cause like unsafe working conditions or harassment.

The application process itself is pretty straightforward once you have all your info together. You file online through the Washington ESD website and it takes about 30-45 minutes. They'll ask for detailed employment history, reason for separation, and personal info. After you submit, expect to wait for your monetary determination letter which shows your weekly benefit amount.

Make sure you file your claim as soon as possible after your hours were reduced. There's a waiting week for new claims, and you can't get benefits for weeks before you actually file. Every week you delay is money you're losing.

One thing to be prepared for - Washington ESD will contact your employer to verify information, and your employer can contest your claim if they disagree with your reason for filing. Most employers don't contest legitimate claims, but it's something to be aware of.

Remember you'll also need to register with WorkSourceWA within a reasonable time after filing. This is Washington's job search resource and it's a requirement for maintaining eligibility. They have job listings, career services, and training programs.

i went through this whole process last year when my restaurant job cut everyone's hours during the slow season. took forever to get someone on the phone at washington esd to answer my questions about partial unemployment. wish i had known about services to help with that back then

Don't stress too much about the process. Washington ESD has pretty clear instructions and most people get approved if they legitimately qualify. The key is being honest on your application and keeping good records of your job search activities. File weekly claims on time every week even if you're waiting for approval.

Pro tip: keep detailed records of everything from day one. Save copies of your application, all correspondence from Washington ESD, your job search log, and any employer communications. If any issues come up later, having documentation makes everything much easier to resolve.

Also worth noting that your weekly benefit amount is based on your earnings during the base period. In Washington, it's roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages, up to a maximum of $999 per week as of 2025. So higher past earnings mean higher weekly benefits.

One last thing - if you have any issues during the process or your claim gets stuck in adjudication, don't be afraid to reach out for help. Whether that's calling Washington ESD directly, using a service like Claimyr to get through faster, or contacting your state representative's office if you're really stuck. There are resources available.