I went through something similar when my husband got a job offer in Colorado. One thing that really helped my case was getting a letter from HR at my company stating that they had no remote work options or transfer opportunities available. ESD wants to see that you explored all reasonable alternatives before quitting. Since your situation involves family caregiving, you might also want to get documentation from Montana's caregiver program showing that your wife is in the approval process - even if she doesn't have the job yet, it demonstrates this isn't just a casual move. Also, keep in mind that Montana has a lower cost of living than Washington, so if you do get approved, your benefit amount might go further there than it would here.

I've been following this thread and wanted to add something that might help. I work in HR and have dealt with several employees who needed to quit for family caregiving situations. From what I've seen with ESD cases, the timing of your wife's employment status is crucial, but don't overlook the caregiving aspect itself. Washington does recognize family caregiving responsibilities as potential "good cause" for quitting, especially when it involves relocating to care for an elderly parent or in-law who needs assistance. My suggestion would be to gather documentation on multiple fronts: 1) Medical documentation of your mother-in-law's need for care, 2) Official correspondence from Montana's caregiver program showing your wife is in the approval process, 3) A letter from your current employer confirming no remote work or transfer options, and 4) Any timeline information from the Montana program about when approval is expected. Even if your wife doesn't have the job "secured" yet, if you can demonstrate this is a legitimate family caregiving situation with a high likelihood of employment (not just speculation), you might have a stronger case than initially thought. The key is showing ESD this isn't just a voluntary move but a necessary one for family care responsibilities.

One more tip: if Washington ESD does contact you about job search verification, respond quickly and provide all requested documentation. The faster you respond, the faster they can process your case.

This thread has been really helpful - I was panicking about this exact same thing! I've been keeping basic records but after reading everyone's advice, I'm definitely going to step up my documentation game. Going to start taking screenshots of confirmation pages and keeping more detailed notes about each application. It's reassuring to know that as long as you're being honest and can back up your job search efforts, the verification process isn't something to lose sleep over. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Final thought - whatever you decide to apply for, keep detailed records of everything. Applications, medical appointments, correspondence, etc. Makes everything easier if you need to appeal or have questions later.

I went through this exact same confusion a few months ago! The term "medical unemployment" is really misleading because it makes it sound like there's one program that covers both situations. What I learned is that Washington has these totally separate systems that serve different needs. If your chronic condition means you literally cannot work right now, PFML is your best bet - it's designed for exactly that situation. But if you lost your job and can still work despite your condition, then regular UI might apply. The key question is: can you actively search for and accept work right now? That determines which program makes sense for your situation.

Yeah what everyone else said is correct. Salaried, hourly, doesn't matter to Washington ESD. I was making $70k salary when I got laid off and had no problems getting approved. The weekly benefit calculation is actually pretty generous for higher earners.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation recently. I was a salaried project manager making $62k and got laid off during restructuring. Filed for unemployment immediately and had zero issues - Washington ESD processed my claim just like any other employee. The key is not to overthink it - if you paid into the system through payroll taxes and were laid off through no fault of your own, you qualify regardless of salary vs hourly status. The online application took me about 15 minutes and I got my first payment within 3 weeks. Don't let anyone tell you differently about salaried employees not being eligible - that's completely false information.

The bottom line is communication with Washington ESD is key. Report everything, ask questions when you're unsure, and keep good records of your work hours and pay. Better to over-communicate than get caught in a problem later.

Just to add one more practical tip - when you start your part-time job, make sure to keep detailed records of your work schedule and hours each week. I use a simple notebook to track my daily hours, and it makes filing the weekly claims much easier. Also, if your hours vary week to week, you might have weeks where you qualify for full benefits and others where you get partial or no benefits - that's totally normal with part-time work while on unemployment.