How is unemployment measured in Washington ESD system - confused about claim calculations
I'm trying to understand how Washington ESD actually measures and calculates unemployment benefits. My claim was approved but the weekly benefit amount seems lower than I expected based on my previous salary. I worked as a retail manager making $52,000 annually before getting laid off in December. My weekly benefit is showing as $487 but I thought it would be closer to $600 based on what my coworker told me. Can someone explain how they actually calculate these amounts? Also, does the measurement change if you're on standby vs regular UI? I've been filing my weekly claims correctly but I want to make sure I understand the system.
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Hailey O'Leary
Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to calculate benefits. It's not just a simple percentage of your annual salary. They look at the four quarters before you filed and use a specific formula based on your highest earning quarter.
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Marcus Marsh
•That explains a lot! I had a really slow quarter in early 2024 due to reduced hours. So they're not looking at my full year earnings?
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Hailey O'Leary
•Exactly right. The base period calculation can sometimes result in lower benefits if your earnings weren't consistent throughout those four quarters.
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Cedric Chung
ugh the whole system is so confusing, ive been trying to figure out my benefit calculation for weeks and the washington esd website doesn't make it clear at all
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Talia Klein
•I had the same frustration! What helped me was actually getting through to an agent to explain my specific calculation. I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get past the busy phone lines - they have this demo video (https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ) that shows exactly how it works. Made a huge difference in understanding my benefit amount.
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Cedric Chung
•never heard of that service before, does it actually work? i've been trying to call for three weeks
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Talia Klein
•Yeah it worked for me. Got through to Washington ESD in about 20 minutes when I couldn't get through on my own after days of trying.
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Maxwell St. Laurent
The measurement system is based on a formula where they take your highest quarter wages and divide by 25, then that's your weekly benefit amount. BUT there's also a maximum weekly benefit that changes each year. For 2025 I think it's around $999 per week maximum.
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Marcus Marsh
•So if my highest quarter was $15,000 that would be $600 per week? That's closer to what I expected.
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Maxwell St. Laurent
•That math looks right, but make sure you're looking at gross wages not net. Also Washington ESD sometimes has other factors that can reduce the amount.
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PaulineW
•Wait I thought the formula was different than that? My calculation didn't work out that way at all.
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Annabel Kimball
NOBODY at Washington ESD explains this stuff clearly!!! I've been on unemployment twice and both times I had to figure out the calculation myself. They measure your 'base period' which is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed. It's ridiculous that they don't just tell you upfront how they calculate it.
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Chris Elmeda
•I feel your frustration. The whole system seems designed to confuse people rather than help.
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Marcus Marsh
•Yeah it really should be more transparent. I'm still not 100% sure I understand my specific calculation.
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Hailey O'Leary
For anyone still confused, here's the actual Washington ESD measurement process: They look at your base period wages (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters). They find your highest quarter, divide by 25 for your weekly benefit rate. Then they also calculate if you have enough total wages to qualify (need wages in at least 2 quarters and total wages at least 1.5 times your highest quarter). Standby benefits use the same calculation method.
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Marcus Marsh
•This is super helpful! So my calculation should be based on my highest quarter from early 2024, not my recent months?
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Hailey O'Leary
•Correct. If you filed in December 2024, they'd typically look at quarters from January 2024 back to January 2023 for your base period.
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Jean Claude
•What if your highest quarter was way back and doesn't reflect your recent earnings? That seems unfair.
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Charity Cohan
i had this same question when i started my claim! turns out my benefit was lower because i had a gap in employment that affected my base period quarters. the measurement system doesn't account for recent pay increases if they happened after your base period ended
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Marcus Marsh
•That might be exactly what happened to me. I got promoted and a raise in late 2024 but that wouldn't show up in the calculation.
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Charity Cohan
•exactly! its frustrating but thats how their system measures eligibility and benefit amounts
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Talia Klein
The measurement calculation can definitely be confusing. What I learned from speaking with a Washington ESD agent is that they also factor in things like whether you're able and available for work, your job search activities, and any other income you might have. The base calculation is just the starting point.
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Josef Tearle
•How did you manage to get through to an agent? I've been trying for over a month.
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Talia Klein
•I mentioned this earlier but I used Claimyr to get through the phone queue. Worth checking out if you need to talk to someone about your specific benefit calculation.
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Shelby Bauman
Just want to add that the measurement system also looks at your work history to determine your benefit duration. You can get anywhere from 12-30 weeks of benefits depending on how much you earned during your base period. It's not just about the weekly amount.
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Marcus Marsh
•Good point! I'm showing 26 weeks of eligibility. Is that pretty standard?
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Shelby Bauman
•That's actually on the higher end, so you probably had good consistent earnings during your base period even if your weekly amount seems low.
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Quinn Herbert
•I only got 18 weeks, guess my work history wasn't as strong as I thought.
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Salim Nasir
The whole measurement thing is weird because they don't count your most recent work sometimes. Like if you just got laid off from a really good job, they might not include those wages in your benefit calculation if it was too recent.
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Marcus Marsh
•That could definitely be part of my situation. My highest paying months were very recent.
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Hailey O'Leary
•This is why understanding the base period is so important. Recent wages often don't count because quarters need to be completed before they're included in the calculation.
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Hazel Garcia
Has anyone ever successfully gotten Washington ESD to recalculate their benefits? I feel like my measurement was wrong but I don't know how to challenge it.
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Laila Fury
•You can request a benefit audit if you think there's an error in how they measured your wages. But you need documentation of your earnings to prove the mistake.
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Hazel Garcia
•Thanks! I have all my pay stubs so I might try that. Do I just call or is there a form?
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Laila Fury
•There's a form you can submit through your Washington ESD account, but calling might be faster if you can get through.
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Geoff Richards
just a heads up that if you're on standby unemployment the measurement works the same way but you might not have to do job search requirements. depends on your specific situation with your employer
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Marcus Marsh
•I'm on regular UI not standby, but good to know the calculation is the same for both.
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Simon White
Another thing about how unemployment is measured - they also look at the reason you became unemployed. If you were fired for misconduct or quit without good cause, it can affect not just your eligibility but also your benefit calculation timing.
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Hugo Kass
•I didn't know misconduct could affect the benefit amount itself, I thought it just made you ineligible.
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Simon White
•It's more about timing - misconduct can cause delays in when your benefits start, which effectively reduces your total benefit amount over time.
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Nasira Ibanez
The measurement system also considers if you have any pension or retirement income. Even if it's small, it can reduce your weekly benefit amount. Found this out the hard way when my small 401k withdrawal affected my calculation.
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Marcus Marsh
•Oh wow, I didn't think about that. I don't have any other income right now though.
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Khalil Urso
•Yeah they ask about other income on your weekly claims for a reason. It all factors into the measurement.
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Myles Regis
From my experience the measurement calculation is pretty much set once your claim is established. The only thing that changes week to week is if you have work earnings or other income that reduces your benefit. The base calculation stays the same throughout your claim period.
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Marcus Marsh
•That makes sense. So my $487 weekly amount should stay consistent as long as I don't have any work income to report.
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Myles Regis
•Exactly. Just make sure you're reporting any income accurately on your weekly claims.
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Brian Downey
If anyone else is struggling to understand their benefit measurement, I'd suggest getting a copy of your wage and benefit statement from Washington ESD. It breaks down exactly which quarters they used and how they calculated your weekly amount. Really helped me understand my situation.
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Marcus Marsh
•How do you get that statement? Is it in your online account?
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Brian Downey
•Yes, you can access it through your SecureAccess Washington account under the benefits section. Should show all the wage details they used for your calculation.
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Jacinda Yu
•Thanks for that tip! I'm going to check mine right now.
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Landon Flounder
Just wanted to circle back to the original question - the measurement isn't just about one formula. Washington ESD looks at your work history, wages, reason for unemployment, ongoing eligibility, and other factors. It's more complex than just dividing your salary by a number, which is why it can seem confusing at first.
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Marcus Marsh
•Thanks everyone for all the explanations! I feel like I have a much better understanding now. Going to check my wage statement and maybe call if I still have questions.
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Talia Klein
•Good luck! And remember if you do need to call, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does help get through the phone queues faster.
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