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

Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings during your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They take your highest earning quarter, divide by 26, then you get about 3.85% of your average weekly wage. So if you made $13,000 in your best quarter, that's $500 per week average, and your benefit would be around $480-490 weekly.

That actually makes sense! So they don't look at my whole year's income, just my best 3-month period?

Exactly! They use your base period which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. Then they pick your highest earning quarter from those 4.

i think its more complicated than that because they also look at multiple quarters not just one

You're partially right - they need earnings in at least two quarters to qualify, but the weekly benefit calculation is based on your single highest quarter.

oh ok that makes more sense then

I had the same confusion when I first got my benefits! Washington ESD includes ALL your covered employment during the base period, so both your warehouse job and part-time work count. Just make sure all your employers reported your wages correctly because that's what they use for the calculation.

How can I check if my wages were reported right? I'm worried my part-time employer might have messed something up.

You can see your wage history on your SecureAccess Washington account under 'Benefit Programs' then 'Unemployment Insurance.' It shows all reported wages by quarter and employer.

Ugh I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks about my benefit calculation and can't get through! Their phone lines are constantly busy and when I do get connected, I get disconnected after waiting forever. This is so frustrating when you just need a simple explanation.

I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. They have some kind of system that calls for you and gets you connected. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Really? That sounds too good to be true. Does it actually work?

Yeah I was skeptical too but I got through to someone at Washington ESD in like 20 minutes instead of calling all day. Worth checking out when you're desperate.

The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington is $999 per week as of 2025, and the minimum is $295. Your $487 sounds about right for your income level. They also use gross wages before taxes for the calculation.

Good to know about the max and min amounts. At least I know I'm somewhere in the normal range.

Wait, is that maximum amount new? I thought it was lower than that.

They adjust it annually based on average wages in the state. It goes up almost every year.

Does anyone know if overtime pay counts toward the calculation? I worked a ton of overtime last year but I'm not sure if Washington ESD includes that or just regular wages.

Yes, overtime counts! Any wages your employer reported to Washington ESD are included in the calculation. Overtime, bonuses, commissions - it all goes into your quarterly earnings total.

That's great news! I was worried they might exclude it since overtime isn't guaranteed.

I'm still confused about the base period thing. When exactly does it start and end? I filed my claim in January 2025, so what quarters do they look at?

For a January 2025 claim, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. They skip the most recent completed quarter (October-December 2024) and go back to the previous four quarters.

Oh wow, so they don't even look at my most recent work? That seems weird.

Right, there's a lag because employers need time to report wages. But you can request an alternate base period if your recent wages were higher.

The Washington ESD system is so outdated and confusing. Why can't they just use your last year's income like a normal calculation? All this quarter stuff makes no sense.

I think it's because unemployment insurance is designed to replace wages from recent covered employment, not necessarily your total annual income. The quarter system ensures the wages are from legitimate employment.

I guess that makes sense from their perspective, but it's still unnecessarily complicated for regular people to understand.

Just wanted to add that if you worked in multiple states, Washington ESD can combine wages from other states too. I had wages from Oregon and they included those in my benefit calculation.

Good to know! I only worked in Washington so that doesn't apply to me, but that's useful information.

How do you get wages from other states included? Do you have to request that specifically?

You mention it when you file your initial claim. Washington ESD will request the wage information from the other states for you.

I tried using that Claimyr thing someone mentioned and it actually worked! Got through to Washington ESD in like 15 minutes and they explained my whole benefit calculation. Definitely worth it when you need to talk to someone.

Really?? I'm definitely going to try that. I've been calling for days with no luck.

Is there a cost for using Claimyr? Sounds like it might be worth paying for if it actually works.

There is a fee but when you're desperate to get through and you're losing money every day you can't resolve your issue, it's totally worth it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you're working part-time while collecting benefits, they'll deduct some of your weekly benefit amount. The first $5 plus 25% of your weekly earnings are ignored, but anything above that reduces your unemployment payment.

That's good to know for future reference. Right now I'm just focused on understanding my regular benefit amount.

Yeah the partial benefits calculation is even more confusing than the regular one!

Don't forget that your total benefit amount (not just weekly) is also calculated. You get up to 26 times your weekly benefit amount, so with $487 per week, your maximum total would be around $12,662.

I didn't even think about the total amount. That's actually helpful to know for planning purposes.

The 26 weeks can extend longer in some cases right? During high unemployment periods?

Yes, sometimes there are extended benefits programs, but those depend on unemployment rates and federal legislation. The standard is 26 weeks.

One more tip - keep all your pay stubs from the base period just in case there's an issue with reported wages. I had an employer who under-reported my wages and I needed the pay stubs to prove my actual earnings to Washington ESD.

Great advice! I'll definitely dig up my old pay stubs just in case.

How long does it take Washington ESD to fix wage reporting errors?

It took about 3 weeks for them to adjust my benefit amount after I provided the documentation. They also paid me the difference retroactively.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful explanations! This thread has been way more useful than the Washington ESD website. I feel like I actually understand how my benefit amount was calculated now.

Glad we could help! The Washington ESD system is confusing but once you understand the basic formula it makes more sense.

Yeah, these kinds of forums are so much better than trying to navigate government websites alone.