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

So they don't look at my whole year of earnings? Just one quarter?

Correct, they use your highest earning quarter. So if you had a really good quarter with lots of overtime, that helps your benefit amount.

You're right about the caps. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit in Washington is $999. The minimum is around $295 I think.

Wow $999 seems really high! I guess I wasn't making enough to hit anywhere near that max.

Never heard of that service but getting through to Washington ESD is such a nightmare. How much does it cost?

They help you get through to the right person without dealing with busy signals and hold times. Worth it when you need actual answers about your claim.

Thank you! That makes way more sense. Let me check what my highest quarter was last year.

Don't forget about taxes too. Your unemployment benefits are taxable income so you might want to have them withhold taxes or set money aside.

I mean, I get why they base it on your previous earnings though. Someone who made $100k shouldn't get the same benefit as someone who made $25k.

Sure but they could still make the calculation clearer. Half the people don't even know what a base period is.

How do you know if it's wrong though? Like what if I just don't understand the calculation?

You can request a wage transcript from Washington ESD to see exactly what wages they have on file for you. Sometimes employers don't report everything correctly.

Yes! The wage transcript is key. Also check that they're using the right base period - sometimes there's an alternate base period that gives you higher benefits.

Same here! I was wondering why mine was so low compared to what I expected.

Good to know! I might pick up some gig work while job hunting.

Just make sure you report ALL work and earnings on your weekly claims. Even if it's just $20, report it. They will find out eventually and you don't want an overpayment.

This! I got hit with an overpayment notice because I forgot to report some DoorDash earnings. Such a headache to deal with.

If you filed in January 2025, your standard base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. But there's also an alternate base period that's more recent - July 2024 through December 2024.

Why would they use the older period instead of the more recent one?

They automatically calculate both and use whichever one gives you higher benefits. The standard base period gives employers more time to report wages, but the alternate can help if your recent earnings were higher.

You can submit your own wage documentation if the employer didn't report correctly. Paystubs, W2s, tax returns, etc. I had to do this when my wages were way off.

This is another situation where getting through to an Washington ESD agent really helps. I used Claimyr again when I had missing wages and they walked me through exactly what documentation I needed to submit.

I don't have kids but that's good to know for others reading this!

Yeah it's like $24 per dependent child, up to 5 kids max. Not a ton but every bit helps.

Yes, bonuses count as wages for unemployment calculation purposes, as long as they were reported on your W2.

Perfect! I got a decent year-end bonus that should help my benefit amount then.

Same! This thread was super helpful. Way better explanation than anything on the Washington ESD website.

This is my first time filing so hopefully that won't be an issue for me.

Good! First time claims are usually pretty straightforward as long as your wage information is correct.

Glad this helped! These kinds of threads are so useful when the official websites are unclear.

Absolutely! And remember if you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation, don't waste hours on hold. Claimyr makes it so much easier to actually get through to the right person.