How is unemployment calculated in Washington ESD - confused about benefit amount

That makes more sense! So they don't look at my most recent earnings from last year?

Exactly, they use an older period to ensure all wage data is properly reported by employers. Sometimes you can use an alternate base period if your recent earnings were higher.

So they only look at my best quarter? That seems weird, what if I had a really good quarter but then worked less the rest of the year?

Exactly, they use your highest earning quarter. It's designed to give you a benefit based on your peak earnings during the base year period.

It's actually not 50% of your weekly wage. Washington uses a formula based on your quarterly earnings, not your weekly pay rate.

oh ok that makes more sense why mine was so low then

So if my highest quarter was $15,600, that would be $600 per week? That's closer to what I got.

Exactly! Plus Washington has a maximum weekly benefit of $999 in 2025, so even high earners get capped.

No, Washington ESD specifically uses just your highest quarter divided by 26. Other states might average all quarters but Washington doesn't.

oh ok thanks for clarifying

So they don't look at my most recent wages? That seems weird since I was making more money in my last few months of work.

Right, they use older wages because they need completed quarters. If your recent wages were higher, you might qualify for alternate base period which uses more recent earnings.

Did you ever get it sorted out? I'm worried they made a mistake with mine.

Thanks! I might need that if I can't figure this out. The phone lines are always busy when I try calling.

Never heard of that service but anything that helps get through to ESD sounds good to me

That's a common misconception. Washington ESD specifically uses the quarterly method, not a simple percentage of your weekly wage.

ugh this is so complicated why cant they just make it simple

Really? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

They focus on the value of actually reaching someone rather than the cost. For me it was worth it to get my questions answered instead of wasting whole days trying to call.

I'm skeptical of third party services but honestly Washington ESD's phone system is so broken I might try this

Is that legitimate? Sounds too good to be true with how hard it is to get through to Washington ESD.

Yeah it's real, I was skeptical too but it actually worked. They basically call on your behalf and get you connected to an actual person who can explain your specific calculation.

Yes actually! I got a bonus in Q2 2024 that pushed that quarter up to around $16,000. That must be my highest quarter.

Bingo! $16,000 divided by 26 weeks = $615, but Washington ESD caps it at about 63% of your average weekly wage, which would bring it down to around your $487 amount.

So if I made $11,500 in my highest quarter, that would be $11,500 ÷ 26 = $442, then $442 × 0.0385 = $17? That can't be right.

You're mixing up the calculation. It's not 3.85% of your weekly average. The formula is more complex - they use different percentages for different wage levels.

The actual formula uses brackets. For lower wages it's closer to 68% of your average weekly wage, then it drops to lower percentages for higher wage levels.

It's frustrating but the formula is actually pretty straightforward once you know what base period they're using. What does your determination letter say?

It just shows numbers without explaining anything. Says my base period wages were $28,000 total but doesn't break down the quarters.

Thank you! This is the clearest explanation I've gotten. So if I made $15,000 in my highest quarter and $13,000 in my second highest, that would be $28,000 divided by 52 = $538 per week?

Almost! But Washington ESD actually uses a slightly different formula. They take your highest quarter wages, divide by 26, and that's your weekly benefit amount (subject to the min/max limits).

Wait, I thought it was the sum of two highest quarters divided by 52? Now I'm confused about which formula they actually use.

Your base weekly amount stays the same, but Washington ESD will reduce your weekly payment based on how much you earn. You can earn up to about $200 without any reduction, then they deduct 75 cents for every dollar above that.

Good to know! I might pick up some freelance work to supplement.

This is really helpful! So my base period would be like Q1 2024 through Q4 2024 if I filed in January 2025?

Not quite - if you filed in January 2025, your base period would be Q4 2023 through Q3 2024. They always use completed quarters only.

You should definitely understand your calculation! If there's an error in your wages it could affect your benefit amount for the entire claim year.

yeah i probably should look into it more

How much did that service cost? I'm tempted to try it because calling Washington ESD directly has been impossible.

It was totally worth it for me - saved me hours of frustration and I finally got clear answers about my claim calculation.

Never heard of Claimyr but if it helps you actually talk to someone at Washington ESD I might try it too

What do you mean by earnings disregards? I might pick up some part-time work while on unemployment.

You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 without any reduction. So if your benefit is $681, you can earn up to $676 and still get your full benefit.

I feel you but at least Washington's benefits are higher than most states. Could be worse.

true but still shouldnt have to do math problems just to figure out your benefits

Wait so the base period isn't the same as the benefit year? I'm getting more confused now.

Right - base period is the 4 quarters they use to calculate your benefits (in the past). Benefit year is the 52 weeks starting when you filed your claim (going forward).

I know right? Makes no sense to use wages from like 6 months ago instead of what you were actually making when you lost your job.

The reason they use the base period system is to ensure wage data is complete and verified by employers. Using recent wages would cause delays while they verify employment.

Right? I just want to know if $437 is correct for what I was making.

The system is designed to be confusing so people don't know if they're getting ripped off

Yes, overtime is included in your quarterly wages. Washington ESD looks at your total reported wages from your employer, which includes regular pay, overtime, bonuses, commissions, etc.

That's good news then! My OT probably boosted my highest quarter significantly.

That sounds about right! I had some overtime during the busy season that brought my highest quarter up to around $13,800.

This makes so much more sense than the confusing explanation on the ESD website

That's a good point - I should probably check what my employers actually reported to Washington ESD vs what I think I earned.

Yeah you can request your wage record from Washington ESD to see exactly what they have on file.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. Saved me so much time and frustration trying to get through on my own.

Might have to look into that. I'm still confused about whether they calculated mine correctly.

They use the base period system to ensure all wages are properly reported and to prevent fraud. It takes time for employers to submit wage data, so they use a period that's far enough back to be complete.

ok that makes sense i guess

I might actually try that. Better than spending hours on hold.

Just looked at their site - seems legit. Anything's better than Washington ESD's phone system.

How long do you have to appeal?

You have 30 days from the date of your determination letter to file an appeal. Don't wait too long!

How do you request a wage transcript?

You can request it through your SecureAccess Washington account or by calling. The transcript shows exactly what wages each employer reported for each quarter.

OK so based on my $487 weekly benefit, that means my highest quarter was around $12,662 in wages. That actually sounds about right for what I was making.

What if you worked part time in some quarters? Does that affect the calculation if your highest quarter was from when you were only working part time?

The calculation stays the same regardless of whether you were full-time or part-time. They just use whatever your actual highest quarter wages were.

I see the wage history but it doesn't show which specific quarter they used as the highest. Is there a way to tell?

Look at the quarters listed and find the one with the highest dollar amount. That should be the quarter they used to calculate your $487 weekly benefit.

Where do I find that in my account? I see my weekly claims but not sure where the monetary determination is.

It should be under your messages or documents section. Look for something that says 'monetary determination' or 'benefit amount calculation'.

I never thought about it that way but you're right. Otherwise people could work a ton right before getting laid off to boost their benefits.

Exactly. The system has flaws but that part is actually pretty smart.

Actually, most states use a similar base period system. Washington's calculation is pretty standard - it's just not explained very clearly on their website.

well they should explain it better then

Thankfully all my wages were in Washington so I don't have to deal with that complication.

You're lucky! Interstate claims are a nightmare to navigate.

The minimum wage increase doesn't directly affect your calculation since it's based on your actual reported wages. But Washington does have a minimum weekly benefit amount that goes up with minimum wage increases.

Good to know, thanks!

How do you request a redetermination? Is there a form or do you have to call?

You can request it through your online account or by calling Washington ESD. If you call, good luck getting through - that's always the hard part.

That's another situation where Claimyr really helps. Much easier to get through to actually talk to someone about redetermination requests.

How do I check that? I only had one employer but want to make sure they have all my wages.

In your ESD account there should be a section showing your quarterly wages by employer. Compare that to your pay stubs or W2.

This is why I always keep detailed records of everything. You never know when ESD will mess something up.

All wages count the same - regular hours, overtime, bonuses, commissions. Washington ESD doesn't distinguish between different types of wages for the calculation.

Good to know, thanks! That explains why my benefit amount seemed higher than I expected.

yeah thats normal, mine took like 3 weeks to get the letter with my benefit amount

OK thanks, I was starting to worry something was wrong with my claim.

You'd need to look at your specific quarterly wages during your base period. Your weekly wage at your last job doesn't directly determine your benefit amount.

where do i find my quarterly wages though

Check your Washington ESD account online or call them to request your wage record. That'll show you exactly what they used for the calculation.

Alright, you've convinced me. I'll check out that video demo you mentioned.

Same here. Washington ESD's phone system is absolutely terrible.

Right! My letter shows I can collect up to $12,662 total. That's 26 weeks times my weekly amount.

Exactly. You can collect for up to 26 weeks in Washington, assuming you meet all the requirements each week.

Agreed! The determination letters are pretty bare bones. A simple breakdown showing which quarters they used and how they calculated it would help everyone.

seriously would save so much confusion

Glad it worked out! Much easier than trying to figure it out yourself.

That's the exact calculation I was expecting. Good to get it confirmed directly from Washington ESD.

Thanks for the update! Helpful to see a real example of how the calculation works.

Same here! Glad I asked the question.

Happy to help! Understanding your calculation is important for knowing if there are any errors.

Good point! Washington ESD will automatically check if alternate base period gives you a higher benefit amount, but it's worth understanding how it works.

yeah i wish i had known about that when i first filed

How do you know if you qualify for alternate base period? Do they automatically check this?

Washington ESD automatically checks if you don't qualify under the regular base period. You don't have to request it separately.

Ohhhh that explains a lot! I was thinking it was just any 3-month period. So if I filed in January 2025, my base period would be Jan-Dec 2024?

Not quite - if you filed in January 2025, your base period would be July 2023 through June 2024. It's the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters.

Is that why some people's claims get stuck in adjudication for so long?

Wage verification can definitely cause adjudication delays, especially if you had multiple employers or if an employer disputes the wage information.

So if I got a raise right before I was laid off, that wouldn't affect my current claim at all?

Correct, it wouldn't affect your current claim. But if you had to file a new claim in the future, the higher wages would be included in that calculation.

Glad we could help clear it up! The Washington ESD calculation system is definitely not intuitive at first.

And remember, if you ever need to talk to Washington ESD directly about your specific calculation, Claimyr is always there to help you get through. Much better than spending your whole day trying to call on your own.

Did the agent actually explain the calculation clearly? I feel like even when I do get through they just read off the same confusing info from the website.

Yes! The agent pulled up my account and walked through each quarter, showed me exactly which one was my high quarter, and explained why my benefit was calculated the way it was. Way better than the generic responses I usually get.

That could be part of my situation. I got promoted to manager mid-2024 so my earlier quarters were definitely lower.

Yep that would do it. The system doesn't account for promotions or raises that happened after your base period.

They actually do have a benefit calculator tool but it's buried pretty deep in their website and not very user-friendly.

of course its buried lol why would they make anything easy

Yes that makes so much more sense now! I was focused on my recent salary instead of looking at it quarterly.

Exactly! Once you understand it's quarterly-based instead of salary-based, the whole calculation makes more sense.

Good to know! I should double-check that all my employers reported correctly before assuming the calculation is right.

Definitely worth checking. Employers sometimes report wages in different quarters than you'd expect based on when you actually worked.

Glad this helped! The Washington ESD system is confusing but once you get the basics it makes more sense.

This is why I love these forums - real people explaining things in plain English instead of government bureaucrat speak.

Hopefully I'll find a job before I need to worry about that, but good to know those programs exist.

Yeah hopefully! But it's good to know your options just in case the job search takes longer than expected.

That's awesome! I've been putting off calling because I know it'll be a hassle but maybe I should try that service too.

I was skeptical at first but honestly it was worth it to avoid the phone tree hell of calling Washington ESD directly.

Correct, they don't typically use your most recent quarter because employers haven't reported those wages yet when you file. It's based on completed quarters where all wages are verified.

That's so dumb, my last quarter would have been my highest

Good to know it actually works! I might try that if I need to call about anything else.

How much does that service cost? Seems too good to be true

It's not free but worth it when you actually need to talk to someone at ESD. Check their website for current info.

How do you request that? Do you have to ask specifically?

Usually ESD will automatically check alternate base year if you don't qualify under regular base year. But you can request it if you think your recent wages were higher.

Same here, they had me listed as part-time when I was full-time. Had to send in tons of documentation to fix it.

yep and then they wanted me to pay back money when they were the ones who made the mistake

Oh good point! I did get tips but my employer handled all the reporting. I should double check that they included everything.

Yeah, tip reporting can be inconsistent. Check your pay stubs to see what was actually reported for unemployment purposes.

Thanks, that's reassuring! I was worried they made an error but it sounds like it's probably correct.

Yeah that's actually a pretty decent benefit amount for restaurant work

Would that be an increase or decrease? Now I'm worried they'll want money back later.

Could go either way depending on what the updated wages show. Usually they'll send you a notice if there are any changes.

Those online calculators are just estimates. The actual calculation involves more variables than most calculators account for.

yeah figured that out the hard way. wish they would just make it more straightforward

That's probably what I'll do if I have more questions. Thanks for sharing your experience with that service.

Good to know there's actually a way to reach them when you need answers

Yeah I'm feeling better about it now. Thanks everyone for explaining how it works!

At least you got a decent amount. Some people get the minimum and it's barely enough to live on.

Good point, I was thinking about doing some catering gigs. I'll need to look into how that works with reporting earnings.

Yeah definitely report any income or they'll hit you with an overpayment later. The rules are pretty strict about that.

Glad it helped! I learned a lot from everyone's responses too.

Same here, saved this thread for reference when I file my claim next week