How do you calculate unemployment pay in Washington ESD?

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. They take 1/26th of that quarter's wages for your weekly benefit amount. The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed.

Don't forget about the minimum hours requirement too. You need to have worked at least 680 hours during your base period, or the monetary determination will deny your claim.

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation because something seems off on my monetary determination. Has anyone found a good way to actually talk to someone there? The phone lines are always busy and I keep getting disconnected.

The calculation can get more complicated if you have wages from multiple states or if you're filing an interstate claim. Washington ESD has to coordinate with other state unemployment agencies in those cases.

ugh the whole system is so confusing why cant they just make it simple like why do i need to know about base periods and quarters just tell me what ill get

Also keep in mind that if you work part-time while collecting unemployment, they'll deduct some of your weekly benefit based on what you earn. There's a formula for that too - it's not just dollar for dollar.

The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator tool that's pretty helpful. I used it before filing and it was pretty accurate compared to what I actually got approved for.

Just remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income! I made the mistake of not having taxes withheld and owed a bunch at tax time. You can request federal and state tax withholding when you file your weekly claims.

I had a weird situation where my benefit amount changed after my initial determination. Turns out Washington ESD found additional wages from a previous employer that weren't reported initially. So your amount could potentially go up if they find more qualifying wages.

One thing that caught me off guard is that the benefit year starts from when you first file, not when you become unemployed. So if you wait a while to file, you're not losing potential benefits - your benefit year just starts later.

Does anyone know how they handle commission or bonus payments in the calculation? I got a big commission check right before I was laid off and I'm wondering if that affects my benefit amount.

I've been calling Washington ESD every day for two weeks trying to get someone to explain my benefit calculation because the numbers don't seem right. The automated system just keeps saying all agents are busy and then hangs up on me. This is ridiculous!

The maximum benefit duration is also tied to your wages. You need to have earned at least 30 times your weekly benefit amount during your base period to get the full 26 weeks of benefits.

Pro tip: keep all your pay stubs from your base period just in case there are any discrepancies with the wage information Washington ESD has on file. I had to provide mine during an appeal process.

This whole thread has been super helpful! I was dreading trying to figure out the benefit calculation but it seems more straightforward than I thought. Thanks everyone for all the explanations.

One last thing - if you disagree with your monetary determination, you have the right to appeal it. Don't just accept it if you think it's wrong. I successfully appealed mine when they missed wages from a temp agency.

Washington ESD also has an alternative base period calculation if you don't qualify under the regular base period. It uses the most recent four quarters instead of the standard calculation.

For anyone still struggling to reach Washington ESD by phone, I had success with Claimyr after months of trying on my own. The service connected me to an agent who walked through my entire benefit calculation and caught an error that increased my weekly amount by $50. Worth every penny for the peace of mind.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this discussion! I learned way more than I expected about how unemployment benefits are calculated in Washington. Time to file my claim with confidence.