To address your specific questions: 1. Yes, laid off and fired are very different for unemployment purposes. Laid off means the separation wasn't your fault (typically eligible for benefits). Fired could mean misconduct was involved (potentially disqualifying). 2. The missing employer information is a significant issue. ESD needs this to verify your wages and employment history. 3. What you should do: Call the ESD claims center (800-318-6022) to correct both issues. You can also send a secure message through your eServices account explaining the situation. 4. This won't necessarily disqualify you, but it could delay your benefits while they sort it out. 5. Gather any documentation showing you were laid off (separation notice, email from employer, etc.) to help verify your status. Don't worry too much - these types of errors happen frequently and can be corrected. The important thing is addressing it promptly.

Hey there! I totally understand your stress - I went through something similar last year when I accidentally put the wrong quit date on my claim. Here's what I learned: First, definitely call ESD ASAP to fix both issues. The laid off vs fired distinction is crucial because it affects your eligibility determination. Laid off typically means you're eligible immediately, while fired can trigger an investigation. For the missing employer info, that's actually a bigger immediate problem than you might think. ESD needs that information to send the separation notice to your employer and verify your wages. Without it, your claim will likely get stuck or denied. A few tips from my experience: - Call the claims center at 800-318-6022 first thing in the morning (they open at 8am) - Have your Social Security number and claim confirmation number ready - Be prepared to explain exactly what happened - they deal with these kinds of mistakes all the time - If you can't get through by phone, try sending a secure message through your eServices account The good news is that these errors are fixable! Just don't wait too long because the longer you wait, the more complicated it becomes to sort out. You've got this!

Bottom line - your weekly benefit amount will be roughly 50-65% of what you were making per week when you were working, up to the state maximum. Not enough to live comfortably but hopefully enough to get by while you find your next job.

I went through this same confusion when I filed my claim a few months ago. The formula everyone mentioned is accurate - they take your highest quarter earnings from your base year and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. What helped me was looking at all four quarters of my base year earnings and identifying which one was highest. In my case, I had worked overtime during Q3 which made that my highest quarter at around $16,200, so my weekly benefit came out to about $385. Also definitely claim those dependents right away if you have kids - that extra $35 per week per child adds up over time and is much easier to do upfront than trying to add them later.

When I filed for unemployment back in 2020, I remember they temporarily waived the job search requirements during the pandemic. Have those all been reinstated now? Just curious as I might need to file again soon.

I had the same confusion when I first used the phone system! It's definitely normal - the IVR system is much more basic than the online portal and doesn't collect job search details. Just keep doing your 3 weekly activities and document everything in your job search log. I actually prefer filing by phone now because it's so much faster, but I always make sure to write down my job searches in a notebook with dates, company names, and contact methods. As long as you're actually doing the work search activities, you're fine. The "processing - ivr" status is totally normal too - it just means they're processing a claim filed through the phone system.

Bottom line: Employers fund the unemployment system through taxes, but they don't pay your individual benefits. It's an insurance model where everyone contributes to a pool. Your former employer's main role now is just to confirm the details of your separation when Washington ESD contacts them. Since you were laid off, there shouldn't be any issues with your claim.

I work in benefits administration and can add some additional context to what everyone's explained so well. Washington state's unemployment insurance is funded through the Employment Security Department's trust fund, which is built from employer contributions. The key thing to understand is that this is a "pay-as-you-go" system - current employer taxes fund current benefit payments. Your specific employer's tax rate is determined by their "experience rating" which looks at their claim history over the past few years. So while they're not cutting a check for your specific benefits, companies with higher claim rates do pay higher taxes. Since you mentioned it was a legitimate layoff due to lack of work, your former employer would have no grounds to contest your claim and it should process smoothly through the system.

The Washington ESD benefit calculator gave me an estimate of $392 per week and I actually got approved for $388, so it was pretty close. Not perfect but good enough for planning purposes.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like I should expect around $370-400 per week plus the $50 for my two kids. I'm going to use the ESD calculator to get a rough estimate but won't stress if the final amount is slightly different. Really appreciate the tip about filing weekly claims even before getting the determination letter - I'll make sure to stay on top of that. Hopefully I can find something new within the 26 weeks but at least this will help cover expenses while I'm searching.