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!

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!

Regarding your severance question - it depends on how your employer reports it. If they report it as a lump sum payment for your past work, it typically won't affect your unemployment eligibility. But if they report it as continuation of wages over several weeks, ESD may consider you still employed during that period. The best practice is to apply immediately after your last working day and report any severance honestly on your application. ESD will determine how it affects your claim. Waiting to apply could cause you to lose benefits since claims aren't backdated unless there's a very good reason for the delay. Also, yes, there is a waiting week in Washington. The first week you're eligible is unpaid but you still need to file a weekly claim for it.

Hey, I just went through this in January. Here's what I learned: the max benefit amount can be misleading because it doesn't account for deductions. I qualified for the maximum but after federal taxes (had them withhold 10%) and healthcare continuation payments, my actual deposit was about 22% less than the gross amount. Also, be prepared for the MyClaims website to crash constantly. I found that logging in very early morning (like 6am) or late evening after 8pm was much more reliable than during business hours. One more tip - even though you have to do 3 job search activities per week, only one needs to be an actual job application. The others can be things like updating your resume, attending a WorkSource workshop, or networking activities. Document everything carefully though!

i had something similar happen but mine was about a former employer contesting my claim not school stuff. did your employer say you shouldnt get benefits? sometimes the 'employer' part of that status means they're resolving something the employer brought up

I went through this exact same thing about 6 months ago! The "Letter ID resolution type employer" status basically means they've finished their investigation and are preparing your decision letter. When the adjudication date changes to today's date, that's actually really good news - it means someone is actively working on finalizing your case right now. Since you mentioned you were laid off due to budget cuts, that should work in your favor. The school hours request is just them making sure you're still "able and available" for work while taking classes. Two online classes shouldn't be a problem at all - just make sure when you upload your schedule that you clearly explain they're flexible and don't interfere with normal work hours. I got my decision letter within 2 days of my adjudication date changing, so hopefully you'll hear something very soon! Hang in there - sounds like you're at the finish line.