One more thing - make sure you understand your benefit year duration. In Washington you can collect for up to 26 weeks (in normal times), so factor that timeline into your job search and financial planning too.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed responses! This thread has been super helpful. Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like I should plan for around 35-40% of my gross weekly wages (so maybe $600-700 per week given my $4,200 monthly salary). I'll definitely elect to have taxes withheld to avoid any surprises later. The Washington ESD calculation system sounds way more complicated than I expected, but at least now I have realistic expectations for budgeting. Going to start cutting expenses now rather than waiting to see the exact amount. Really appreciate all the real-world examples people shared!

I went through something very similar last year - 8 weeks in adjudication limbo with zero communication from ESD. What finally helped me was documenting everything and being extremely persistent. I created a spreadsheet tracking every call attempt, kept screenshots of my online account showing the pending status, and wrote down every reference number they gave me. When I finally got through to someone, having all that documentation actually helped speed up the resolution because the agent could see my case history immediately. Also, try calling at exactly 8:00 AM on Tuesday or Wednesday - I found those were the best days to get through. The waiting is absolutely brutal, but most people do eventually get their backpay once it clears. Hang in there!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed in early February and still stuck in adjudication with absolutely no information about what's being reviewed. The constant "pending - adjudication in progress" message is maddening when you're trying to pay rent and buy groceries. I've called probably 30+ times with no luck getting through. Reading everyone's experiences here is both reassuring (that I'm not alone) and terrifying (seeing how long some people waited). Has anyone had success with contacting their state representative's office? I've heard sometimes they can help expedite cases or at least get information when regular channels fail. At this point I'm willing to try anything - the financial stress is overwhelming.

IMPORTANT: Make absolutely sure your handwritten logs are LEGIBLE! I got disqualified for a week of benefits because ESD couldn't read my chicken scratch on one entry. They're super strict about having complete information for each job search activity. I had to appeal and it was a whole ordeal that took weeks to resolve.

I've been using handwritten logs for about 6 months now and haven't had any issues! One tip that's helped me a lot is to use a black pen (not blue) when filling out the forms - it scans and photographs much better if you ever need to submit digital copies. Also, I keep mine in a dedicated folder and number each page in case they get mixed up. The ESD website actually has a downloadable PDF version of their job search log that's designed to be printed and filled out by hand, so you're definitely good to go with that approach!

Just to add a bit more technical information: This job search reporting change usually happens when your claim reaches a certain point in its benefit year or if your benefit type has been modified (like switching from regular UI to extended benefits, etc.). For the weekly certification, the system will still ask your job search confirmation question ("Did you make at least 3 job search contacts and/or participate in job search activities as required?") - you should answer "Yes" as long as you're actually doing them, even though you can no longer enter the details online. The safest approach is to maintain complete records in both digital and physical formats. I personally keep a spreadsheet backup of my job search log as well as the official PDF, plus I save application confirmation emails in a dedicated folder. It might seem excessive, but it's saved me more than once during reviews. Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder to complete your job search log the same day you do the activities - waiting until the end of the week makes it easier to forget important details.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my weekly claim yesterday and got that same message about no longer being able to submit job searches online. I've been panicking all morning thinking something was wrong with my claim. Reading through all these responses is such a relief - sounds like it's just an administrative system change and my benefits should continue as normal as long as I keep doing my 3 job searches and maintain the PDF log. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this community is so helpful when ESD's communication is basically nonexistent!

Bottom line - just file your claim as soon as possible and be patient. The monetary determination will come within a few days and tell you exactly what your weekly benefit amount will be. Don't stress too much about calculating it yourself.

Based on your wages ($18/hour, 35 hours/week), you're probably looking at around $400-500 per week in benefits, but it depends on your specific quarterly earnings during the base period. Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters - so if you filed recently, they'd look at your wages from around October 2023 through September 2024. The formula is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, with a max of $999/week for 2025. Your monetary determination letter should arrive within a week of filing and will show the exact calculation. Don't wait to file though - you can't backdate claims, so every week you delay is money lost!