Who qualified for unemployment benefits from Washington ESD - confused about eligibility

Washington ESD has specific eligibility requirements you need to meet. You generally need to have worked in covered employment and earned enough wages during your base period. The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. You also need to be unemployed through no fault of your own.

you also have to be able and available for work, and actively looking for a job. they make you do job search activities every week

I was in a similar situation last year - worked multiple part-time jobs and wasn't sure if I qualified. The key thing is that Washington ESD looks at your total earnings across ALL employers during your base period. If you were laid off and didn't quit voluntarily, you should be good to apply. Just make sure you have your wage information from both jobs when you file.

One thing to watch out for - if you quit any of your jobs voluntarily, that could affect your eligibility. You mentioned being laid off from your retail job, but what happened with the part-time job before that? If you quit without good cause, it might complicate things.

Don't panic yet! Even if there's an issue with the job you were fired from, it doesn't automatically disqualify you from benefits. The adjudication process can take time though. If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your claim status, I recently found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helps people get connected to ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

just apply anyway, worst case they say no. the online application walks you through everything

Another thing to consider - you mentioned working retail and part-time jobs. Make sure both employers were paying into the unemployment system. Some employers try to classify workers as independent contractors to avoid paying unemployment taxes, which would make you ineligible for benefits from that work.

I've been on unemployment twice in the past 5 years and the eligibility rules are pretty straightforward. The main things are: 1) You worked enough to meet the wage requirements, 2) You're unemployed through no fault of your own (layoffs qualify), 3) You're able and available to work, and 4) You're actively looking for work. Sounds like you check most of those boxes.

The Washington ESD website has a good eligibility quiz thing that can give you a quick idea if you qualify. But honestly, the easiest way is just to apply and let them tell you. They'll calculate everything based on your actual wage records.

One more thing - if you do get approved, remember that you have to file weekly claims every Sunday to keep getting benefits. It's not automatic. And you have to report any work or income during that week, even if it's just a few hours.

ugh the whole system is such a pain. i qualified easily but then spent 6 weeks in adjudication hell because of some stupid issue with my previous employer. finally got it sorted out but only after calling like 50 times

Don't let the horror stories scare you off. Most people who qualify get approved without major issues. The system is designed to help people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Since you were laid off from your most recent job, that's a good starting point.

also remember that if you get denied for any reason, you can appeal the decision. i know someone who got denied initially but won their appeal and got all their back benefits

The base period thing trips a lot of people up. Just to clarify - if you're filing in 2025, your base period would typically be the first four quarters of 2024 (Jan-Dec 2024). But if you don't have enough wages in that period, they can use an alternate base period that includes more recent wages.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now actually. Filed 3 weeks ago and still waiting to hear back. My claim is in adjudication because of a previous job issue too. This is so stressful when you need the money to pay bills.

Quick tip - when you apply, be completely honest about everything. Don't try to hide the fact that you were fired from your previous job. It's better for ESD to know upfront than to find out later, which could look like you were trying to hide something.

the eligibility requirements are pretty reasonable compared to some other states. washington tends to be more generous with unemployment benefits

One last thing - if you do qualify, your weekly benefit amount will be based on your highest earning quarter during the base period. So even though you worked part-time at one job, if you had a good quarter with the retail job, that could boost your weekly benefit amount.

Bottom line - you won't know for sure until you apply. The online application isn't too bad and Washington ESD will let you know pretty quickly if you're eligible. Don't stress too much about it.

Good luck with your application! Hope everything works out for you. The unemployment system can be confusing but most people who should qualify do end up getting approved eventually.