Does unemployment pay what you were making - Washington ESD benefit calculation?
I just got laid off from my manufacturing job where I was making $4,200 a month. Filing my Washington ESD claim next week but trying to figure out what to expect financially. Does unemployment actually pay what you were making before? I've heard different things from coworkers - some say it's half your pay, others say there's a maximum amount. Really need to know so I can plan my budget while job searching. Anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the weekly benefit amount?
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Ava Garcia
No, unemployment doesn't pay your full salary. Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your earnings from your highest quarter in your base period. It's roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages, but there's a maximum weekly amount - I think it's around $999 per week for 2025.
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Dmitry Popov
•So if I was making $4200 a month, what would that translate to roughly? Trying to do the math but it's confusing with the base period stuff.
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Ava Garcia
•Your monthly pay doesn't directly translate. They look at your quarterly earnings over the past 15 months to find your base period. If you were consistently making $4200/month, you'd probably get close to the maximum weekly benefit, but it depends on how long you worked at that wage.
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StarSailor}
I was making about $3800/month before I got laid off and my Washington ESD weekly benefit is $692. So definitely not full pay - more like 40-45% of what I was earning. The job search requirements are pretty strict too, you have to log 3 job contacts per week.
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Dmitry Popov
•That's actually not too bad though - better than I expected. How long did it take for your claim to get approved?
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StarSailor}
•About 2 weeks, but I had a friend whose claim went into adjudication for over a month. Really depends on your situation.
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Miguel Silva
The formula is complex but here's the basics: Washington ESD takes your two highest quarters from your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters), adds them together, and divides by 2. Then they calculate 3.85% of that amount for your weekly benefit. There's also a minimum ($295) and maximum ($999 for 2025) weekly benefit amount.
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Dmitry Popov
•This is really helpful! Do they count overtime and bonuses in those quarterly calculations?
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Miguel Silva
•Yes, all wages reported to Washington ESD count including overtime, bonuses, and commissions. Just make sure your employer reported everything correctly.
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Zainab Ismail
•What if you can't reach Washington ESD to verify your wage information? I've been trying to call for weeks about my base period wages looking wrong.
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Connor O'Neill
I had the same problem trying to get through to Washington ESD about my benefit calculation. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Totally worth it when you need to verify your wage info or fix calculation errors.
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Zainab Ismail
•Is this legit? I'm desperate to talk to someone at Washington ESD but don't want to get scammed.
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Connor O'Neill
•Yeah it's real - they just help you get through the phone system. I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.
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Yara Nassar
•I used them too when my weekly claim got stuck. Super easy and I finally got answers about my benefit amount calculation.
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Keisha Robinson
You definitely won't get your full pay but it's designed to replace part of your income while you look for work. The key thing is filing your weekly claims on time and meeting the job search requirements. Miss those and you won't get anything regardless of what your benefit amount is.
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Dmitry Popov
•Good point about the weekly claims. Do I file those right away or wait until my claim is approved?
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Keisha Robinson
•Start filing weekly claims immediately after your waiting week. Don't wait for approval or you'll lose those weeks.
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GalaxyGuardian
been on unemployment twice and it was never enough to cover my bills. maybe 40% of what i was making at best. had to pick up side work to make ends meet
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Dmitry Popov
•That's what I'm worried about. My rent alone is $1,800 so if I'm only getting 40% of my income, I'm in trouble.
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Ava Garcia
•Make sure you report any side work income when you file your weekly claims. Washington ESD allows you to earn up to your weekly benefit amount before they start reducing your payment.
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Zainab Ismail
Still trying to get through to Washington ESD about my benefit calculation being wrong. My employer reported incorrect wages and it's affecting my weekly benefit amount. Been calling every day for 3 weeks with no luck.
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Connor O'Neill
•Seriously try that Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier. I was in your exact situation and they got me through to fix my wage issue.
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Miguel Silva
•You can also try the employer wage protest process if your employer reported wrong information. There's a form on the Washington ESD website for that.
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Yara Nassar
The benefit calculator on Washington ESD's website gives you a rough estimate if you know your quarterly wages. Not perfect but better than guessing. Just remember it's gross pay before taxes - they'll take out federal taxes if you elect that option.
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Dmitry Popov
•I didn't even think about taxes! Do they automatically take them out or do I have to pay at the end of the year?
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Yara Nassar
•You can choose to have 10% federal tax withheld when you file your claim. I'd recommend it unless you want a big tax bill next year.
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StarSailor}
Don't forget you can also get extended benefits if regular UI runs out and unemployment is high enough in Washington. But that's only after you exhaust your regular 26 weeks.
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Dmitry Popov
•26 weeks seems like a long time but I guess it could go by fast if the job market is tough.
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StarSailor}
•It goes faster than you think, especially if you're being picky about jobs. The job search requirements get stricter after a few weeks too.
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Paolo Ricci
I calculated mine ahead of time using my pay stubs and the Washington ESD formula. Came out to about $743 per week which was pretty close to what I actually got approved for. The key is having consistent employment in your base period.
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Dmitry Popov
•That's smart planning ahead. I've been at my job for 2 years consistently so hopefully that helps my calculation.
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Paolo Ricci
•Yeah 2 years of steady work should put you in good shape for a decent weekly benefit amount. Just make sure to file ASAP after your last day of work.
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Amina Toure
Whatever you do, don't expect unemployment to fully replace your income. It's temporary assistance while you find new work. I treated it like that and found a new job within 8 weeks instead of getting comfortable on benefits.
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Dmitry Popov
•Good mindset. I'm definitely treating this as temporary and already started updating my resume.
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Keisha Robinson
•That's the right attitude. The job search requirements are there for a reason - to keep you actively looking.
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Oliver Zimmermann
they never pay what you were actually making, its always less than you need. washington esd is a pain to deal with too, good luck getting through on the phone
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Connor O'Neill
•That's why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - makes dealing with Washington ESD phone system way easier.
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Oliver Zimmermann
•might have to check that out, tired of getting hung up on every time i call
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Ava Garcia
One more thing - if you worked in multiple states, you might need to file an interstate claim. And if you were in the military or worked for the federal government, there are special rules for those wages too. Washington ESD can help sort out which wages count toward your benefit calculation.
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Dmitry Popov
•I only worked in Washington so that shouldn't be an issue for me, but good to know for others.
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Natasha Volkova
•I had wages from Oregon and Washington - took forever to get that sorted out with both states.
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Javier Torres
The waiting week thing caught me off guard too. You don't get paid for your first week of unemployment, it's like a deductible. So plan for that when budgeting.
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Dmitry Popov
•Wait, so even if I qualify for benefits, I don't get paid for the first week? That's rough when you're already tight on money.
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Javier Torres
•Exactly. It's called the waiting week and everyone has to serve it. Just budget accordingly.
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Emma Davis
Make sure your employer doesn't contest your claim either. That can delay everything and potentially reduce your benefits if they claim you were fired for misconduct or quit voluntarily.
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Dmitry Popov
•I was laid off due to budget cuts so hopefully no issues there. Company was actually pretty good about helping us file.
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Emma Davis
•That's good - sounds like a clean separation. Should make your claim process smoother.
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CosmicCaptain
Bottom line - expect about 40-50% of your previous income if you were a steady worker. It's not supposed to be a full replacement, just enough to help while you find new employment. Focus on the job search and you'll be back to full pay soon enough.
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Dmitry Popov
•Thanks everyone for all the info! This gives me a much better idea of what to expect. Time to tighten the budget and start job hunting.
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Miguel Silva
•Good luck with your claim! File as soon as possible and stay on top of those weekly certifications.
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