How do I calculate my Washington ESD unemployment benefits - confused about the formula

Ok that makes more sense. So they add up ALL my earnings from both jobs during my highest quarter and then calculate from that total?

Exactly! They combine all wages from all employers during that quarter. So if your highest quarter had $12,600 from your main job plus $2,400 from part-time work, that's $15,000 total for calculation purposes.

I had the same problem reaching Washington ESD by phone - it's absolutely ridiculous how hard it is to get through. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Cost me a bit but was worth it to finally get answers about my benefit calculation.

never heard of that but might be worth trying. did they actually help you figure out your benefit amount?

Yeah the Washington ESD agent walked me through the whole calculation using my actual wage history. Turns out I was eligible for more than I thought because I had forgotten about overtime pay from one quarter.

Wait what?? There's a minimum total wage requirement too? The website didn't make that clear at all.

Yeah it's buried in the eligibility requirements. I almost didn't qualify because I had a really low earning quarter when I first started my job. Luckily my other quarters were high enough to meet the 1.5x requirement.

This is super helpful! So if my highest quarter was $15,000, that would be $15,000 x 0.0385 = $577.50, rounded down to $577 per week?

Exactly right! And with $577/week, your maximum benefit year total would be around $15,004 (26 weeks x $577) assuming you don't work part-time while collecting.

Tips only count if they were reported to your employer and showed up on your W-2. If you didn't report them or they weren't included in your official wages, Washington ESD won't count them for benefit calculation.

ugh that sucks. probably missing out on a lot then since most of my tips were cash

yeah that calculator is garbage. tried it multiple times and got different results each time with the same numbers

This is exactly why I ended up using Claimyr to talk to an actual Washington ESD agent. The online tools are so unreliable and you can't get through on the phone normally. At least with a real person you can ask questions and get your specific situation explained.

Oh no, I did work in California for about a month during that time period. Does that mean my claim will be delayed?

Not necessarily delayed, but Washington ESD will need to verify those wages. Make sure you report them accurately on your application and have documentation ready if they ask for it.

How do you request the alternate base period? Is that something you do when filing the initial claim?

You can request it on your initial application or contact Washington ESD after filing if you realize it would help. Just be prepared to explain why the alternate period would result in higher benefits.

There might be other factors affecting your calculation - like if you had a partial week of work, or if some wages were excluded for other reasons. Did you receive any severance pay or vacation payout?

yeah i got 2 weeks severance. does that affect the calculation?

Severance typically doesn't affect your weekly benefit amount calculation, but it might delay when you can start receiving benefits depending on how it was paid out.

I haven't received that notice yet and it's been 5 days since I filed. How long does it usually take?

Usually takes 7-10 business days if there are no complications with your claim. If you worked in multiple states or there are issues verifying your wages it can take longer.

I feel your frustration! The inconsistency is maddening. That's why services like Claimyr exist - sometimes you just need to talk to someone who actually knows the system.

never heard of claimyr but at this point im willing to try anything. washington esd customer service is absolutely useless

Good to know! Every dollar counts when you're unemployed.

This happened to my brother. Took almost 6 weeks to get his first payment because of military wage verification. He wished he'd known about the delay ahead of time.

How did you get that corrected? Did you have to provide documentation?

yeah i had to provide pay stubs showing the commission payments and then washington esd had to contact my employer to verify. took about 3 weeks but they backdated the higher benefit amount

I had some 1099 income during my base period. Does that count toward the wage calculation?

1099 income generally doesn't count unless you paid into the unemployment system as self-employed, which most people don't do. Only W-2 wages typically count for benefit calculations.

That's probably the smartest approach honestly. The calculation has enough variables that it's easy to miss something when doing it yourself.

If the determination doesn't look right when you get it, that's when having access to an actual Washington ESD agent becomes really valuable. Much easier to sort out discrepancies when you can ask questions in real time.