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

You need to meet the base year earnings requirement. Washington ESD looks at your earnings in the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. You need at least $4,290 in total earnings during your base year, and you must have earned at least $1,100 in your highest earning quarter.

i worked part time too and got approved so dont listen to your friend. as long as you made enough money in your base year you should be good

The earnings requirement is just one part. You also need to be unemployed through no fault of your own (laid off, not fired for cause), be able and available for work, and actively seeking work. If you were laid off from your retail job due to lack of work, that should qualify as involuntary separation.

I had trouble reaching Washington ESD to verify my eligibility before filing. Kept getting busy signals and disconnected calls. Finally used Claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent who walked me through the requirements over the phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to call on my own.

DON'T EVEN BOTHER. The system is completely broken. I've been waiting 6 weeks for my claim to be processed and still nothing. They'll find any excuse to deny you even if you qualify.

Also worth mentioning - even if you don't meet the regular base year requirements, Washington ESD can use an alternate base year which looks at the most recent 4 quarters. This helps people who recently started working or had gaps in employment.

Wait, I thought you had to work full-time to get unemployment? I've been putting off filing because I only worked 25 hours a week at my last job.

The job search requirement is what trips up a lot of people. You have to be actively looking for work and keep a log of your job search activities. Can't just collect benefits without trying to find a new job.

also make sure you file asap because there's a waiting week where you dont get paid. the sooner you file the sooner that week is over

I got denied initially because they said I didn't earn enough, but then I appealed and got approved. Sometimes their initial calculation is wrong. Don't give up if you get denied at first.

This whole thread is making me realize I probably qualified months ago but never filed because I thought I didn't work enough hours. The earnings requirement makes way more sense than an hours requirement.

For anyone still confused about eligibility, I'd recommend using that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier to speak with a Washington ESD agent directly. They can look at your specific work history and tell you definitively if you qualify. Much better than guessing based on forum advice.

The able and available requirement catches some people off guard too. If you have transportation issues, childcare problems, or health issues that limit when you can work, it might affect your eligibility.

my cousin got unemployment after working at mcdonalds for like 4 months so i think the requirements arent as strict as people think

Just want to add that gig work and 1099 contractor work usually doesn't count toward regular unemployment eligibility. You need to have been an actual employee (W-2) for the earnings to count toward your base year.

The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator tool that can give you an estimate of whether you qualify and how much you might receive. Might be worth checking that out before filing.

I was in a similar situation - worked part-time retail for about 6 months before getting laid off. My claim got approved without any issues. The key was making sure I had earned enough during my base year quarters. Don't let people scare you away from filing if you think you might qualify.

Remember that even if you get approved, you still have to file weekly claims and meet all the ongoing requirements. It's not just about initial eligibility - you have to maintain eligibility every week.

Based on everything discussed here, it sounds like you should definitely file. 8 months of work should be enough if you made decent money, and being laid off due to lack of work is a qualifying reason. Worst case scenario, they deny you and you're in the same position you're in now.

One last tip - make sure you have all your employment information ready when you file. Employer names, addresses, dates of employment, reason for separation, etc. It'll make the application process much smoother.