Who is eligible for unemployment compensation through Washington ESD?

You don't need to work full-time to qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits. The main requirements are: 1) You must have worked in Washington state during your base period (typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters), 2) You must have earned at least $1,000 in your base period, 3) You must have earned wages in at least 2 quarters of your base period, and 4) Your total base period wages must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter wages. Since you worked 8 months, you likely meet these requirements.

Also make sure you were laid off through no fault of your own. If you quit or were fired for misconduct, you won't qualify. But layoffs due to lack of work are totally fine for Washington ESD benefits.

I had a similar situation last year and couldn't get through to Washington ESD by phone for weeks to ask questions about my eligibility. The wait times were insane and I kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier.

One thing to keep in mind - even if you're eligible, you still need to be able and available for work, and actively seeking employment. Washington ESD requires you to do job search activities and report them on your weekly claims. Don't slack on this part or you could get disqualified.

ugh the whole washington esd system is so confusing. i applied last month and still waiting for my first payment. keep getting told my claim is under review but no one explains what that means

Age shouldn't matter for eligibility as long as you meet the work and wage requirements. I know people who got benefits at 18 and others who got them at 65. The system doesn't discriminate based on age.

Make sure you have all your documentation ready when you file - Social Security card, ID, employment records, etc. Washington ESD is pretty strict about having everything in order from the start.

The weekly benefit amount is based on your highest quarter wages. With part-time work, it might not be a huge amount, but every bit helps when you're unemployed. Don't let that discourage you from applying if you're eligible.

JUST APPLY ALREADY! Sorry for yelling but I see so many people overthinking this. If you're not sure about eligibility, let Washington ESD make that determination. The worst they can say is no, but you might be surprised and qualify.

Another option if you can't reach Washington ESD directly is using Claimyr. I used them when I had questions about my claim status and they got me through to an agent the same day. Really saved me a lot of stress trying to call myself.

One more thing - if you do get approved, make sure you file your weekly claims on time every week. Missing even one week can mess up your whole claim and cause delays.

Also remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or pay them later when you file your tax return.

sounds like you should be fine to apply. retail layoffs are pretty common this time of year so washington esd sees a lot of these cases. just make sure you're honest about everything on your application

I had to use Claimyr twice last year when I had issues with my claim. Once for an adjudication question and once when my payments stopped randomly. Both times they got me through to someone who could actually help instead of just reading me the website info.

The system has gotten better over the years but it's still not perfect. Just be patient and persistent. Most people do get approved eventually if they're eligible.