Who is unemployment for - confused about Washington ESD eligibility requirements

Unemployment benefits are for people who lost their job through no fault of their own AND meet the work/wage requirements. In Washington, you need to have earned wages in at least two quarters during your base period and made at least $3,850 total. Part-time work can qualify you as long as you meet these minimums.

You should definitely apply even if you're not sure about eligibility. Washington ESD will review your work history and wages automatically when you file your claim. The worst they can say is no, but you might be surprised - part-time workers qualify more often than people think.

I was in a similar situation and spent weeks trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask about eligibility. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent who could review my work history. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. Made the whole process so much easier.

unemployment is for anyone who gets fired or laid off basically. if you quit or get fired for misconduct then no dice but if company lets you go then you should be good

Don't listen to anyone who says part-time workers can't get unemployment! I worked part-time for a year before getting laid off and I qualified for benefits. Washington ESD looks at your total wages, not how many hours you worked per week. If you made enough money during your base period, you're eligible.

Here's who unemployment is NOT for: people who quit without good cause, independent contractors (usually), people fired for misconduct, students in certain situations, and people who haven't worked enough. But if you were laid off from a regular job where taxes were taken out, you probably qualify.

The Washington ESD website has an eligibility calculator but honestly it's confusing as hell. I tried using it and still had no idea if I qualified. Ended up just filing anyway and they sorted it out during the claims process.

I've been through this process twice in Washington. Unemployment is for people who are unemployed through no fault of their own AND are able and available to work AND actively seeking work. You also need to meet the monetary eligibility requirements based on wages earned in your base period.

JUST FILE THE CLAIM! Stop overthinking it. If you worked a regular job where they took taxes out and you got laid off, you probably qualify. The worst thing that happens is they say no. I wasted 2 weeks wondering if I qualified instead of just applying.

Had a friend who tried calling Washington ESD for weeks to ask about eligibility and could never get through. She ended up using some service that calls for you - I think it was Claimyr or something like that. Got connected to an agent within a few hours and found out she definitely qualified.

unemployment is basically for regular employees who lose their jobs. if you were a W2 employee (not 1099 contractor) and got laid off or fired for reasons other than misconduct, you should qualify as long as you worked enough. retail workers definitely count

The eligibility requirements can be confusing but here's the simple version: 1) You lost your job through no fault of your own, 2) You earned enough wages during your base period, 3) You're able and available to work, 4) You're actively looking for work. If you check all those boxes, unemployment is for you.

Don't let anyone scare you about not qualifying. I know people who worked part-time, seasonal, temporary jobs who all got unemployment. Washington state is pretty generous with eligibility compared to other states. Just file and see what happens.

I was in retail too and qualified no problem. Made about $15k the year before I got laid off from part-time work. The key is consistent employment, doesn't matter if it was part-time. Your situation sounds very similar to mine.

If you're still worried about eligibility, you could try calling Washington ESD directly, but good luck getting through. I tried for days and finally gave up. Used Claimyr to get connected and the agent confirmed my eligibility in about 10 minutes. Sometimes it's worth paying for convenience when you're already stressed about losing your job.