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Kylo Ren

What percentage of your pay is California EDD unemployment benefits?

So I just got laid off last week from my warehouse job and I'm trying to figure out what I'm actually going to get from unemployment. I've heard it's like 60% of your pay but my coworker said it's more complicated than that and depends on your highest earning quarter or something? I made pretty decent money but it varied a lot week to week with overtime. Trying to budget for the next few months while I job hunt and I honestly have no idea what to expect. Can someone explain how California EDD actually calculates what percentage of your pay you get for unemployment benefits? I don't want to be blindsided when my first payment shows up.

Good question and one that trips up a lot of people. California EDD doesn't pay a flat percentage of your most recent paycheck - the calculation is a bit more involved. Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is determined by looking at your base period earnings, which is basically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. EDD takes the quarter in which you earned the most money and uses a formula to calculate your WBA from that. For most people it ends up being roughly 60-70% of your average weekly wages, but the max weekly benefit amount in California right now is $450. So if you were earning really good money, you might hit that cap and your percentage would actually be lower than 60%.

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Kylo Ren

Author

Wait so the $450 is the absolute max no matter what? I was making close to $1,400 a week with overtime included. That means I'm only getting like 32% of what I was making? That's way less than I expected.

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yeah the cap is brutal for anyone who was making decent wages. california hasn't updated that $450 max in a while and it really doesn't keep up with cost of living here

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To be more precise - the formula EDD uses is you take your highest base period quarter earnings, divide by 26, and that gives you your WBA. But yes it's capped at $450. There's also a minimum which is currently $40/week but almost nobody qualifies at that floor level.

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The 60% figure you heard is kind of a rough average that applies to lower and middle income workers. California's unemployment replacement rate is designed to replace about 60-70% of wages for workers earning up to a certain threshold. Once you cross that threshold, the percentage drops because of the cap. For planning purposes, just assume $450/week maximum and work backwards from there.

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Kylo Ren

Author

Ok that's helpful for budgeting. So my actual benefit period - how long can I collect at that rate?

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standard is 26 weeks in california, so you're looking at a max of around $11,700 total if you get the full $450 each week. not great but it's something while you look for work

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I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago when my manufacturing plant closed. The percentage thing really depends on YOUR specific earnings history not some universal number. When I filed, EDD calculated my WBA and I ended up at $387/week even though I thought I'd get more. What frustrated me more than the amount was actually getting EDD on the phone to ask questions about my calculation. Spent probably 3 days trying to get through before I found out about Claimyr. Used it at claimyr.com and got connected to an actual EDD rep within an hour who walked me through exactly how they calculated my benefit amount and answered all my questions. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 if you want to see before trying it. Saved me so much time and stress.

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Kylo Ren

Author

I might need that, I have a ton of questions about my specific situation. Did the EDD rep actually help or just read you stuff off a script?

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Honestly she was really helpful - explained the base period calculation for my specific quarters and told me what to expect for my first payment. Way better than trying to figure it out from the website.

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gonna check out that claimyr thing, been trying to reach EDD for two weeks about my claim amount and can't get through

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How long did it actually take to get connected through claimyr? I'm skeptical but also desperate at this point lol

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ok so real talk from someone who used to work in HR - the percentage question is kind of the wrong thing to focus on. what matters is your BASE PERIOD. if you had any quarters where you worked less or took time off, your benefit amount could be way lower than you expect. like someone could have averaged $1200/week over the year but had one quarter where they only made $8,000 and that becomes their highest quarter so their WBA gets calculated off that lower amount instead of their overtime-heavy quarters

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Kylo Ren

Author

Oh no I did take like 6 weeks off earlier this year for a family thing. Could that tank my calculation?

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Depends on when exactly. The base period doesn't include the most recent completed quarter, so timing matters a lot. You should use the EDD benefit calculator on their website to get an estimate based on your actual quarters.

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this is actually really important info. i wish someone had told me this before i filed. i ended up with a much lower WBA than i expected because my leave time messed up my highest earning quarter

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everyone is giving you the technical answer but the emotional reality is california unemployment benefits are NOT designed to replace your income. they're a bridge. if you were a high earner the cap basically means the system wasn't built for you. i know that's not helpful but prepare yourself mentally for a significant income drop regardless of percentages

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This. I kept telling myself I'd get 60% and then reality hit. Made sure to file IMMEDIATELY after layoff too so I didn't lose any benefit weeks while waiting.

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Kylo Ren

Author

Yeah I filed the same day I got the layoff notice at least. Just waiting on the processing now.

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Since you mentioned your income varied with overtime - just want to flag that EDD uses your base period gross wages, not your regular straight-time rate. So overtime income DOES count toward your WBA calculation which is good. But it's still capped at $450 max. The formula is straightforward: take your highest earning quarter total, divide by 26, and that's your weekly benefit amount (as long as it doesn't exceed $450).

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Kylo Ren

Author

So if my highest quarter was say $15,000 that would be $15,000 divided by 26 = about $576, but since that exceeds $450 I just get $450?

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Exactly right. You've got it. Anyone with a highest quarter above $11,700 will hit the cap.

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the divide by 26 formula is a good rule of thumb but technically EDD uses a specific table in their schedule to determine WBA, it's not always exactly divided by 26. close enough for estimates though

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Wanted to add something nobody mentioned - your WBA also determines your maximum benefit amount (MBA) which is the total you can collect over your entire claim. In California your MBA is either 26 times your WBA, or 1/2 of your base period wages, whichever is LOWER. So if you didn't work all four quarters of your base period that second calculation might kick in and limit your total benefits even more.

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Kylo Ren

Author

This is getting complicated. There are so many calculations involved. Is there an easy way to just get an estimate?

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EDD has a UI Online benefit calculator you can access after filing. It will show your actual WBA based on your wage records once your claim is processed. That's the most reliable way to know your specific amount.

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yeah just log into UI Online once you file, your award letter will show your WBA and MBA so you know exactly what you're getting

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I'm going through almost the same thing right now. Filed 2 weeks ago, still in pending status and I can't get any information about my benefit amount. The EDD website shows my claim is processing but won't give me any actual numbers yet. At what point do they actually tell you what your WBA is?

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Usually once your claim moves out of the initial processing phase (which can take 3-5 weeks from filing) you'll get your award letter showing your WBA. If you're in adjudication for any reason it can take longer. Keep filing your weekly certifications in the meantime even if payment is pending.

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I have been filing weekly certs, good to know I should keep doing that. Just anxious to know the actual number so I can budget.

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If your claim is just taking a while and you need to talk to someone, that's when I'd suggest trying Claimyr again - claimyr.com. Got me through to an EDD agent way faster than the regular phone line when I needed status info.

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does anyone know if part time earnings affect the percentage you get?? i was laid off from my main job but i still have a small part time gig. do i have to report that and does it reduce my benefits

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Yes you absolutely must report any wages earned each week when you certify. EDD has a formula where you get to keep a portion of your part time earnings - I believe the first 25% of your WBA doesn't count against you, then earnings above that reduce your benefits dollar for dollar. But DO NOT fail to report them, that can lead to overpayments and penalties.

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ok good to know. so i do get to keep SOME of my part time pay without it affecting benefits, just not all of it

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the partial benefit formula in california is actually: your WBA minus part time earnings minus $25 equals your payment for that week. so the first $25 you earn doesn't count against you, then everything above that reduces your check dollar for dollar

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came here to say what percentage of your pay is unemployment in california basically depends heavily on your income level. lower earners get closer to that 60-70% replacement rate because the cap doesn't hit them. higher earners get a much lower percentage because of the $450 ceiling. it's kind of regressive in that way - the lower your income the better the relative protection

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100% accurate. a minimum wage worker in california might actually get close to full replacement. a skilled tradesperson who was making $80k a year is going to get way less than 30% replaced.

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Kylo Ren

Author

That's actually a really useful framing for my expectations. I was in the higher earning bracket so I should mentally prepare for the $450 ceiling.

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one thing nobody mentioned is the waiting period. even once everything is approved you don't get paid for your first week of unemployment - california has a one week unpaid waiting period built in. so your first actual payment will come in week 2. just so you're not panicking when the first week shows nothing in your account

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Kylo Ren

Author

Oh I didn't know that! Good to know before I start wondering where my first check is.

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this is true, the waiting week is still a thing in california. you certify for it but don't get paid. confuses a lot of new claimants

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wait did they bring back the waiting week? i thought they waived it during covid and i wasn't sure if it was still waived or came back

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yes the one week waiting period is back. it was waived during the pandemic emergency period but that ended and it's back in effect now

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filing weekly certifications on time is SO important and I feel like people don't stress this enough. even if your claim is pending or in adjudication you should be filing your weekly cert every single week. if you miss weeks you might not be able to go back and claim them later and you lose that money forever

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This scared me a little - I've been filing but I wasn't sure if I should keep filing while it's still processing. Good confirmation that I should keep going.

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Kylo Ren

Author

Filing every week no matter what, got it. Thanks for the reminder.

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also just to be thorough - the percentage question gets even more complicated if you worked in multiple states during your base period or if you're a seasonal worker. california has some special provisions for those situations but the standard calculation everyone is describing applies to the typical full-time W2 employee situation

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Good point. Also gig workers and independent contractors can't claim regular UI in California - you need W2 wages on record. Just in case anyone reading is in that situation.

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right, gig workers had access to pandemic-era programs but those are gone now. if you're 1099 you're generally not eligible for California EDD regular unemployment

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can i ask a dumb question - when they say weekly benefit amount does that mean i get paid every week? or is it bi-weekly? I just filed and im not sure how the actual payment schedule works

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Not a dumb question at all. You certify (answer questions about your work search activities and earnings) every two weeks in California. But your WBA is the weekly amount, so you receive 2x your WBA when your biweekly payment processes. So if your WBA is $400, you'd get $800 every two weeks.

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ohhhh that makes so much more sense. so its bi-weekly payments but called a weekly benefit amount. that's confusing but okay

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technically you can certify weekly if you prefer, but most people do biweekly because that's how EDD sets it up by default

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I want to give a reality check for anyone reading this thread later. I calculated I'd get about $450/week, which sounds okay on paper. But after you factor in that unemployment benefits are TAXABLE income in California, your actual take-home is going to be even lower if you elect to have taxes withheld. Something to factor into your budget planning.

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Kylo Ren

Author

Wait unemployment is taxable?? I didn't know that. Should I elect to have taxes withheld or just deal with it at tax time?

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Federal taxes apply to unemployment, California state taxes do not - California exempts UI benefits from state income tax. But you'll owe federal taxes on it. You can elect 10% federal withholding on your EDD payments or just set aside money yourself. Most people in lower tax brackets are okay either way but worth thinking about.

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Good clarification - California does NOT tax unemployment benefits at the state level, but federal tax still applies. A lot of people get confused about this and end up with a surprise tax bill in April.

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Been lurking this thread and wanted to add my experience. I spent THREE WEEKS trying to get EDD on the phone to understand my benefit calculation because my award letter seemed wrong based on my earnings. Finally a friend told me about Claimyr - went to claimyr.com and used their service to get through to an actual EDD agent. The agent found that EDD had used the wrong quarter as my highest earning quarter (a data entry thing on their end) and I got my WBA corrected from $312 to $418. Worth every effort to actually reach someone who could look at my specific account.

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This is super helpful to know - so mistakes do happen on EDD's end with the calculation and it's worth verifying? How did you even know to question it?

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I just did my own calculation using the formula - divide highest quarter by 26 - and got a number higher than what EDD said. That's when I knew something was off. Always worth double checking their math.

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glad you got it corrected. that's a significant difference, $106 more per week adds up to thousands over a full claim period

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For what it's worth I work with a lot of newly unemployed people through a job resource center and the question of what percentage of your pay is unemployment comes up constantly. My standard answer is: plan for $450/week if you were making decent wages, hope for more if you weren't, and don't count on unemployment to fully replace your income regardless of what percentage that works out to. Focus energy on the job search so you can get back to your real wages as soon as possible.

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Kylo Ren

Author

This is pragmatic advice. I've got my job search going already - just needed to know what to budget for in the meantime. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful, thank you everyone.

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This is the right mindset. Unemployment is a bridge, not a destination. Good luck with the job search OP.

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Also file for any other assistance you might qualify for while on unemployment - food assistance, utility help, etc. EDD benefits alone are hard to live on in California given the cost of living here.

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