Where do I file for unemployment if I work remotely - Washington ESD questions

You file where you live, not where your employer is based. Since you're a Washington resident, you'll file with Washington ESD. The key factor is your state of residence, not your employer's location.

Actually, this isn't always straightforward. If your employer has been paying unemployment taxes to California instead of Washington, you might need to file there. Check your pay stubs to see which state's unemployment taxes were being deducted.

I've been dealing with Washington ESD for months and getting through to someone who can actually help with complex situations like this is nearly impossible. The phone lines are constantly busy and when you do get through, you often get conflicting information.

To clarify the earlier confusion - the general rule is you file in your state of residence. However, if your employer was paying unemployment taxes to a different state, that can complicate things. Washington has interstate agreements to handle these situations.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year. Remote worker for an out-of-state company, lived in Washington. I filed with Washington ESD and they handled everything, even though my employer was in Texas.

just file in washington thats where you live duh

The interstate wage verification process can add weeks to your claim processing time. Washington ESD has to request wage information from other states and it's not always a smooth process.

For anyone in this situation, make sure you have all your documentation ready: W-2s from the past 18 months, recent pay stubs, and your employer's information including their state business registration details.

Remote work has made this so much more complicated. When I started working from home during COVID, nobody explained how it would affect unemployment eligibility.

Here's the definitive answer: Start by filing with Washington ESD since you're a Washington resident. During the application process, you'll provide your employer information. Washington ESD will then determine if they have jurisdiction or if you need to file in California based on where your unemployment taxes were paid.

Washington ESD's website has a section about filing claims when you work for an out-of-state employer. It's not super detailed but it confirms what others have said here.

One thing to keep in mind is that if Washington ESD determines you should file in California instead, you'll need to start over with California's system. So hopefully that's not the case for you.

I'm curious - did your employer ever mention anything about which state they were paying unemployment taxes to when you were hired?

Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - I'm not affiliated with them or anything, but they really saved me when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD. The system calls for you and then connects you when they get an agent on the line. Might be worth having as a backup if you run into issues.

The good news is that once this gets sorted out, the actual unemployment benefits process is pretty straightforward. Filing weekly claims, job search requirements, all that stuff is standard regardless of the interstate complications.

Make sure to apply as soon as possible even if there are questions about jurisdiction. You want to get your claim date established because benefits are typically not retroactive to before when you filed.

Thanks for posting this question! I'm in a similar situation and this thread has been really helpful.

Just to add one more data point - I work remotely for a Washington company but live in Oregon. I had to file with Oregon, not Washington. So it really does depend on your state of residence.

UPDATE: I filed with Washington ESD this morning and the application went through smoothly. They accepted my out-of-state employer information without any issues. Now I just have to wait for them to process everything.

For future reference, Washington ESD has an interstate benefits coordinator who handles these types of cases. Most claimants never need to know about this position, but it's good to know it exists for complex situations.

I'm in a very similar situation - remote worker for an out-of-state company, Washington resident. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I was also confused about where to file, but it sounds like starting with Washington ESD is the right approach. It's frustrating that this isn't more clearly explained anywhere, especially with remote work being so common now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to hear from people who've actually been through this process.