if you worked multiple where do you file unemployment Washington ESD

You need to file in the state where you worked the most during your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters. Since your last job was in Washington, start by checking Washington ESD to see if you have enough wages there to qualify.

wait i thought you had to file where your last job was located? thats what i did and it worked fine

I was in a similar situation last year - worked in Washington and Idaho. I tried calling Washington ESD for weeks to ask about this but could never get through. The phone system is absolutely terrible. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual person at Washington ESD. They have this demo video that explains how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. The agent was able to look up my wages from both states and help me figure out which one to file with.

The technical answer is that you file in the state where you have sufficient wages during your base period to establish a valid claim. If you don't qualify in that state, you can often combine wages from multiple states through something called Interstate Benefits. Washington ESD participates in this program.

been there done that... the whole system is so confusing when you worked multiple states

Here's what I'd recommend: Start with Washington ESD since that's where your most recent job was. When you begin the application, they'll ask about wages from other states. Be honest about all your employment. If Washington can't establish a claim for you, they'll help you figure out next steps.

I had to deal with this nightmare last year. Worked in Washington, then moved to Nevada for a few months, then back to Washington. What a mess trying to figure out where to file. The Washington ESD website has some information about interstate claims but it's pretty confusing.

The Washington ESD phone system is absolutely useless for getting help with complicated situations like this. I swear they designed it to discourage people from calling.

whatever you do dont delay filing just because youre not sure which state to use. you can always correct it later but you want to get your claim date established

Check your state tax returns too - that might help you figure out which state you earned the most wages in during the relevant time period.

One more thing - if you do end up needing to combine wages from multiple states, be prepared for a longer processing time. Interstate claims can take several additional weeks to resolve because the states have to communicate with each other about your wage history.

I went through this exact situation two years ago. Filed with Washington ESD first since my last job was here, but didn't have enough wages. They helped me file an interstate claim to combine my wages from Oregon. Took about 6 weeks total but eventually got approved.

definitely start with washington since thats where you live now and where your most recent job was. they have the best system for handling interstate stuff in my experience

Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - if you do run into issues getting through to Washington ESD to ask specific questions about your interstate situation, that service really does work. I was skeptical at first but it saved me so much time and frustration.

The most important thing is to be completely honest about all your work history when you file. Don't try to hide employment in other states or anything like that. Washington ESD will find out anyway and it could cause problems with your claim.

good luck with everything! the multi-state thing is confusing but lots of people deal with it. youll figure it out

Final tip: Once you start your Washington ESD application, they'll ask specifically about out-of-state employment. Make sure you have the exact employer information for all your jobs - full company names, addresses, your job titles, and dates of employment. Having all that ready will speed up the process significantly.

Hope it works out smoothly for you! Multi-state claims are definitely more complicated but Washington ESD deals with them all the time so they know the process.

Just remember to keep filing your weekly claims even while they're processing the interstate stuff. You don't want to miss any weeks of potential benefits.

Update us on how it goes if you don't mind! Always curious to hear how these multi-state situations work out for people.

One thing to add that might help - if you end up having to wait for interstate processing, consider looking into whether Washington has any emergency or expedited benefits available while your claim is being processed. Some states have temporary assistance programs for situations like this where there are processing delays through no fault of the claimant. It's worth asking about when you speak with them.