Can I get unemployment for quiting my job to move and go to school?? (WA) (receive, apply)

[dubstephead]

Hi, I recently quite my job in Bellingham to move to Shoreline for part time school and so my girlfriend can get a better Phlebotomy Job.
Today I applied for unemployment and they said they have to send me a question-air application to see if I "Quite my job under the right terms" to before I could receive weekly claim benefits I qualified for.
Can anyone let me know If I will receive Unemployment benefits for Quitting because I moved under these terms?
Thank you so much!

[pnwguy2]

Washington State is pretty strict on "quitting" a job. You have to prove that there was a qualified reason for quitting, which usually means there was a physical barrier that could not be overcome, or other harassment that you encountered and was not solved by the employer. You likely will not get unemployment in this case. However, you should go ahead with the claim just to be certain.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

For quitting to go to school, probably no.

For quitting because your wife moved to another area to get a job, maybe. No wait. You aren't married, so no.

[Rabrrita]

Odds are you won't receive a penny. Shouldn't you have researched this BEFORE you quit?

[Ariadne22]

You get no benefits.

School is usually a ROADBLOCK to getting benefits under the best of circumstances - assuming you have a good cause separation - because it raises the Able and Available issue. In other words, your class schedule conflicts with your ability to search for and accept work.

If, on the other hand, you enroll in state-sponsored training program after being laid off/fired or a quit for cause, it may possible to get benefits, depending on the state. This is not your situation.

You will be denied.

[pikabike]

No. Unemployment benefits are provided to people who involuntarily lose their jobs for reasons out of their control (that is, they were NOT fired for cause). You left on your own volition.

If this condition were not the case, too many people would quit. DUH.

[Disgustedman]

Originally Posted by dubstephead

Hi, I recently quite my job in Bellingham to move to Shoreline for part time school and so my girlfriend can get a better Phlebotomy Job.
Today I applied for unemployment and they said they have to send me a question-air application to see if I "Quite my job under the right terms" to before I could receive weekly claim benefits I qualified for.
Can anyone let me know If I will receive Unemployment benefits for Quitting because I moved under these terms?
Thank you so much!

No, you won't get a dime.

I quit under a "Medical" quit and won, but it wasn't easy.

You have to have a dang good reason to quit. if they fire you, it's easier to get UI then quitting....

[dubstephead]

Thanks for the replys. I thought Washington was trying to get people to go back to college. Would the move so my GF can find a better, in demand medical job have any possibility of working?
Thanks

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by dubstephead

Would the move so my GF can find a better, in demand medical job have any possibility of working?

Not in the State of Washington.

What you are asking about is "trailing spouse benefits."

Trailing spouse benefits are available in about 23 states, and half those states restrict trailing spouse benefits to military people only.

Although Washington offers trailing spouse benefits, your circumstances do not qualify you - because you were not married at the time she moved and she doesn't have a job.

From the Washington handbook:

You moved to be with your spouse or domestic partner whose job is outside your labor market area.

http://www.esd.wa.gov/uibenefits/for...ed-workers.pdf

Unless you can prove she is, in fact, your "domestic partner" - however that is defined in WA state - AND she moved to take a new job (not just look for a job), you will be denied.

That said, in California, if a marriage was imminent (like within several weeks), and you moved to be closer to potential spouse, you could collect. That the spouse be employed is not a criteria, necessarily, in California.

States which offer trailing spouse vary widely in their criteria and generally apply very stringent protocols.

[Rabrrita]

As Ariadne said, I see no way that you can qualify even with the most liberal interpretation of unemployment regulations in WA. Unfortunately, you just have to accept that you are not going to get a penny in unemployment and start looking for work if you need the money. Had you sought advice before you quit, there could have been things that could occur to have aided you, but as you did it, you have nothing to qualify with. Good luck.