How is Washington ESD unemployment benefit amount calculated - confused about my weekly payment

So they don't use my total annual income? Just one quarter? That seems weird but thanks for explaining.

Right, it's based on your highest quarter. The idea is to reflect your typical weekly earnings during your best earning period.

Have you tried using Claimyr? I found out about it when I was having the same problem getting through to Washington ESD. It's this service at claimyr.com that helps you actually reach an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Never heard of that, is it legit? I'm so desperate at this point I'll try anything to get answers about my claim.

Yeah it worked for me. I was able to get through and talk to someone about my adjudication issue. Way better than spending hours on hold.

Good to know about the max and min amounts. I definitely earned way more than $7,308 so that's not an issue.

wait is the max really $999 now? i thought it was lower than that

Yes, Washington updated their maximum benefit amounts for 2025. It's tied to the state average weekly wage.

I agree it should be clearer. You can request a breakdown from Washington ESD if you call them, but good luck getting through on the phone.

EXACTLY! The phone system is impossible. I've wasted so many hours trying to reach someone.

I worked pretty consistently last year, so hopefully that helps. Just those two jobs I mentioned.

That should work in your favor then. Consistent earnings usually result in higher benefits.

Yes, overtime counts as regular wages for benefit calculation purposes. All W-2 wages during your base period are included.

Sweet, that probably helped boost my benefit amount then!

Restaurant work often has lower benefit amounts because of tipped wages and lower base wages. The calculation is still the same formula though.

Yeah that makes sense. Tips don't count toward UI benefits right?

Correct, only reported W-2 wages count. Cash tips that weren't reported wouldn't be included in the calculation.

Oh wow, so you can actually get them to explain the math? That's exactly what I need.

Yeah the agent was really helpful once I got through. Much better than trying to figure it out from the determination letter alone.

You should understand it though! What if there's an error and you're not getting the right amount?

true, i probably should look into it more

That helps a lot! I filed in December so my base period would be different. Thanks for the clear explanation.

This is super helpful. I never understood what 'base period' meant on my determination letter.

They add all W-2 wages from all employers during your base period together. Then they use your highest quarter total to calculate your weekly benefit amount.

Good to know, I had 3 different jobs last year so that should help my calculation.

That would be nice! Some other states have benefit calculators on their unemployment websites.

Yeah seriously, it shouldn't be this hard to figure out. The whole system needs to be more user friendly.

I'm definitely going to check that out. This thread has been helpful but I still want to talk to someone at Washington ESD directly about my specific situation.

Same here, gonna try Claimyr this week. Getting real tired of the busy signals.

Good point! I should double check my calculation first before deciding if I need to appeal.

Exactly, make sure you understand how they calculated it first. Sometimes what looks wrong is actually correct once you understand the formula.

Agreed! I feel like I actually understand how my benefits were calculated now. Really appreciate all the responses.

Happy to help! The unemployment system is complicated but once you understand the basics it makes more sense.