Can I collect WA State Unemployment if I quit to relocate with my husband?

by Jessica
(Washington state)

We currently live in Washington State and my husband has just been accepted for a job in Nevada. I havent been able to find a job. Do I qualify for unemployment in Nevada? I am currently leaving my job with a good standing but obviously am moving with my husband.




Hi Jessica,

Not NV, unless you have wages in NV.

Now, please indulge me the opportunity to answer for everyone that has the same question.

According to the 2010 "Non-Monetary Eligibility Chartbook" at DOLETA it "sounds" like it should be possible for you to collect unemployment from WA state unemployment ..

The fact that it is possible, is qualified in footnote 4.

It says, "WA – to relocate for the employment of spouse or domestic partner that is outside the existing labor market area,
provided that claimant remained employed for as long as was reasonable prior to the move".

BUT, I have taken to double checking the ETA Recovery website for "modernization incentive payments" because of accuracy issues I have found with this years chartbooks.

If true, they should have received an incentive payment for being so generous. (This was part of the stimulus).

What was meant by "remained employed for as long as was reasonable prior to the move" was the part that first set-off alarm bells. And it went off again, only louder, when there was no reference to an incentive payment for the quitting to follow a spouse provision.

So I checked the WA State unemployment laws which I despise because they always seem to be changing them and you have to pay attention to "dates" and see if they crossed something out.

This is the
statute itself, which has it's own set of footnotes.

I think they must have even confused whoever wrote the DOLETA Chartbooks, because this is what seems to be the relevant statute.

"(iii)(A) With respect to claims that have an effective date before July 2, 2006, he or she: (I) Left work to relocate for the spouse's employment that, due to a mandatory military transfer: (1) Is outside the existing labor market area; and (2) is in Washington or another state that, pursuant to statute, does not consider such an individual to have left work voluntarily without good cause; and (II) remained employed as long as was reasonable prior to the move;

(B) With respect to claims that have an effective date on or after July 2, 2006, he or she: (I) Left work to relocate for the spouse's employment that, due to a mandatory military transfer, is outside the existing labor market area; and (II) remained employed as long as was reasonable prior to the move"

It's no wonder they did not receive an incentive payment.

It does not sound promising .. unless your husband is in the military, but I'd really like to hear from anyone that has had luck getting unemployment when the quit to follow a civilian spouse.

Sometimes, one can work their way around a statute, if somehow, the quit becomes attributable to the work. An employer transfer policy meant to retain employees is the first thing that comes to mind.

Here is another good starting place to research "WA unemployment" if you need to learn more about the WA State appeal process for any issue.