How is the amount of unemployment determined in Washington ESD?

Washington ESD uses your base year wages to calculate your weekly benefit amount (WBA). They look at your highest quarter of earnings in your base year and divide by 26. The maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is $999, so your $844 sounds reasonable for your income level.

The formula is confusing but basically Washington ESD takes your highest earning quarter from your base year and divides it by 26 weeks. Then they also look at all 4 quarters combined to make sure you earned enough to qualify.

I was so confused about this too when I first filed. Had to call Washington ESD multiple times to understand the calculation. The phone lines are always busy but I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and even a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Really helped me understand my benefit calculation.

Your $844 weekly benefit actually sounds about right for a $65k salary. Washington ESD replaces roughly 50% of your average weekly wage up to the maximum. Since you made about $1,250 per week gross, half of that would be $625, but the calculation is more complex than that simple math.

ugh the whole system is so confusing!! i got like $450/week and i have no idea how they came up with that number. washington esd never explains anything clearly

There's also a minimum weekly benefit amount in Washington. For 2025, you need to have earned at least $3,432 in your highest quarter to qualify for benefits. The minimum WBA is $342 per week.

I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for 3 weeks to understand why my benefit amount is so low. The automated system just keeps hanging up on me after an hour on hold. This is ridiculous!

Another thing to remember is that your weekly benefit amount stays the same for your entire benefit year, even if you had a higher paying job more recently. It's all based on that base year calculation.

The maximum weekly benefit in Washington is tied to the state average weekly wage. It gets updated annually, which is why it went up to $999 in 2025.

One more important point - if you don't have enough wages in your regular base year, Washington ESD can use an 'alternate base year' which includes more recent quarters. This sometimes results in a higher benefit amount.

Just want to add that commission and bonus payments can really affect your calculation if they fell in your highest quarter. I had a big commission check that boosted my weekly benefit amount significantly.

Update: I finally got through to Washington ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Turns out my benefit calculation was correct, but they explained it much better than any of the online resources. Worth every penny to actually talk to a real person.

For anyone still confused, you can also check your quarterly wage reports on the Washington ESD website. Login to your account and look for 'View Benefit Year Information' to see exactly what wages they used.

been unemployed 3 times in the last 5 years and still don't fully understand this calculation lol. just glad i get something each week

One final tip for anyone reading this thread - if you think your benefit calculation is wrong, you can appeal it within 30 days of receiving your monetary determination. Don't wait if you have questions about the amount.

The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator tool that can give you an estimate, but it's not always accurate because it doesn't account for all the nuances in the calculation.

Remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income too. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or pay quarterly estimated taxes.

Just to wrap up the main question - your $844 weekly benefit for a $65k salary is definitely in the right ballpark. Washington ESD's calculation method is designed to replace about 50% of your wages up to the state maximum.

This thread has been super helpful! I'm about to file for unemployment and was worried about how much I'd receive. Good to know the process is at least predictable.

One thing that caught me off guard was that if you worked in multiple states, it can affect which state you file in and how your benefits are calculated. Washington ESD can help determine the best option.