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

Washington ESD uses your highest quarter of earnings from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. Your base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then that's your weekly benefit amount up to the maximum.

The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington for 2025 is $999 per week. Your $487 sounds about right if your highest quarter was around $12,600 in wages. Did you work the full quarter or start mid-quarter?

I had the same confusion when I got laid off. Spent forever trying to call Washington ESD to get an explanation but their phone lines are always busy. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person who explained my benefit calculation in detail. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

There's also something called the alternative base period if you don't qualify under the regular base period. Washington ESD will automatically check this if your regular base period doesn't work. It uses more recent wages which might help in your situation.

ugh this system is so confusing... why can't they just use your last few paychecks like normal people would think??

The formula is pretty straightforward once you understand it. Washington ESD takes your highest quarter of the base period, divides by 26 weeks, and that's your weekly benefit amount (subject to the maximum). You can also get dependents allowance if you have qualifying dependents which adds to your weekly amount.

Wait I'm confused about the base period thing. If I filed in January 2025, what quarters do they use?

There's a good breakdown on the Washington ESD website under 'How Your Weekly Benefit Amount is Calculated' but honestly their explanation is pretty technical. The key thing is they need at least $1,000 in your highest quarter to qualify for benefits at all.

Just want to mention again that Claimyr really helped me understand my benefit calculation when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD. Sometimes it's worth paying for a service that actually works instead of wasting days trying to call.

One thing people don't realize is that if you worked in multiple states, Washington might use wages from other states too if it helps your claim. It's called combining wages and can increase your benefit amount.

My benefit calculation was wrong when I first got it and I had to file an appeal to get it corrected. Turned out Washington ESD was missing wages from one of my employers. Always double-check that all your employers are listed in your monetary determination.

Pro tip: if your wages were really low during the base period because of COVID or other issues, you might want to wait and refile later when you have higher base period wages. Sometimes timing your application can make a big difference in your benefit amount.

The whole system is designed to screw over workers if you ask me. Using year-old wages instead of current wages just keeps benefit amounts artificially low.

Does overtime count toward the benefit calculation? I worked a lot of OT in some quarters.

I used Claimyr when I couldn't understand why my benefit amount changed after a few weeks. Turns out Washington ESD had processed additional wage information that increased my weekly amount. The agent explained everything clearly.

The calculation seems right based on what others are saying. $487 weekly would mean your highest quarter was probably around $12,600. If you were making $22/hour for a full quarter that would be about $11,440 so maybe you had some overtime or worked a few extra weeks.

Just remember you also have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits in Washington. They don't automatically withhold federal taxes so you might want to have them take out 10% or pay quarterly estimated taxes.

If you're still confused about your specific calculation, Washington ESD is supposed to send you a monetary determination that breaks down exactly which quarters and wages they used. That document should explain your $487 amount.

Bottom line: Washington ESD uses your best quarter from the base period, divides by 26, and that's your weekly amount up to the max. Your $487 sounds about right for someone making $22/hour. The system isn't perfect but at least you qualified for benefits!