How minimum wage affects unemployment benefits calculation in Washington ESD

Washington ESD uses your actual earnings during the base period, not current minimum wage rates. Your weekly benefit amount is calculated based on the wages you earned in the highest quarter of your base period. The minimum wage increase doesn't directly change your benefit calculation.

That makes sense, thanks! So it's based on what I actually made, not what minimum wage is now.

exactly, they look at your real earnings history not theoretical wages

The minimum wage can affect your job search requirements though. When you're looking for suitable work, Washington ESD considers wages that are at least 70% of your previous wage OR the prevailing wage for similar work, whichever is higher. With minimum wage increases, some positions might meet that threshold now.

Oh interesting, I hadn't thought about how it affects job search requirements. That's actually helpful to know.

Wait, is it really 70%? I thought it was higher than that for suitable work requirements.

It starts at 70% for the first few weeks, then gradually increases. You can find the exact schedule in the Washington ESD handbook.

I've been dealing with something similar and couldn't get through to Washington ESD to ask about it. Their phone lines are always busy and I keep getting disconnected. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?

I used this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD when I was having issues. They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent picks up. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

That sounds too good to be true. Does it actually work for Washington ESD?

Yeah, I was skeptical too but it worked for me. Got connected to an agent in about 45 minutes instead of spending hours redialing.

minimum wage going up is good but doesnt help when you cant find work anyway. been looking for 2 months now

Are you logging all your job search activities? Washington ESD requires documentation of your work search efforts.

yeah im keeping track but everything requires experience i dont have

The job market is tough right now, hang in there. Make sure you're applying to positions that meet the suitable work criteria though.

I think there's some confusion here about how wages work with unemployment. The minimum wage increase doesn't change your benefit amount, but it might affect whether you have to accept certain job offers. If a job pays minimum wage and that's significantly less than what you made before, you might be able to refuse it initially.

How do they determine what's 'significantly less'? Is there a specific percentage?

It's based on the suitable work provisions I mentioned earlier - starts at 70% of your previous wage.

This is why I wish Washington ESD would make their rules clearer on their website.

The real issue is that minimum wage increases can sometimes make employers more hesitant to hire, which affects unemployment rates overall. But for individual claims, it's about your personal wage history like others said.

Let's not get into economic theory here. The person just wants to know about their benefit calculation.

Fair enough, just thought it was relevant context.

Washington ESD has a benefit calculator on their website that might help you verify if your $362 weekly amount is correct. You just need your wage information from the base period.

I'll check that out, thanks! I didn't know they had a calculator.

The calculator is helpful but sometimes it's still confusing with all the quarters and wage periods.

Been on unemployment three times in the past five years and I can confirm - they always use your actual earnings history, not current wage rates. The benefit amount is locked in when you file your initial claim based on your base period wages.

That's reassuring to hear from someone with experience. Thanks for confirming that.

Three times in five years? That's rough, hope things are more stable now.

Yeah, had some bad luck with company closures and layoffs. Things are better now though.

Does anyone know if the minimum wage increase affects the maximum benefit amount in Washington? I thought I read somewhere that it might.

The maximum weekly benefit amount is set by state legislation and isn't directly tied to minimum wage changes. It's currently $929 per week for 2025.

Good to know, thanks for the specific number.

I had to call Washington ESD about my wage calculation too and it took forever to get through. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it was a game changer. The agent was able to explain exactly how they calculated my benefit amount using my base period wages.

How much did that service cost you?

It was worth it to actually get answers instead of spending days trying to call. The peace of mind was valuable.

I'm definitely going to try Claimyr. Tired of getting nowhere with the regular phone lines.

Washington's minimum wage is one of the highest in the country but that doesn't mean unemployment benefits are automatically higher. It's all about individual earnings history.

True, but having a higher minimum wage baseline probably helps some people's base period calculations.

Good point, if you were making minimum wage before, the increases over time would show up in your earnings history.

just want to add that when you're doing your job search log, make sure you're not limiting yourself to only minimum wage jobs if you made more before. washington esd expects you to look for work at your skill level initially

That's a good reminder about the job search requirements. I need to make sure I'm documenting everything properly.

Yeah the job search log is super important. I got questioned about mine during a review.

The thing about minimum wage and unemployment is that it can affect your motivation to find work. If the jobs available pay minimum wage and your unemployment is close to that, there's less incentive to rush back to work.

That's kind of the point of unemployment benefits though - to give you time to find appropriate work, not just any job.

True, but there are time limits and work search requirements to prevent people from staying on benefits too long.

I'm dealing with a similar situation where I'm not sure if my benefit calculation is right. My base period had quarters where I was making different amounts due to a raise. Does Washington ESD use an average or just the highest quarter?

They use your highest quarter for the weekly benefit calculation, but all quarters in your base period need to meet minimum earnings requirements for you to qualify.

That makes sense. I think my calculation might be right then. Thanks for explaining that.

For anyone still confused about this, the key thing to remember is that Washington ESD unemployment benefits are insurance based on what you paid in through your previous wages. Minimum wage changes don't retroactively change what you earned in your base period.

That's a really clear way to explain it. It's insurance based on past earnings, not current wage rates.

Exactly. That's why some people who made good money can get substantial benefits while others who worked minimum wage jobs get less.

One more thing - if you think there's an error in your wage calculation, you can request a wage review from Washington ESD. Sometimes employers don't report wages correctly and that can affect your benefit amount.

How do you request a wage review? Is that something you can do online?

You can request it through your online account or by calling. If you call, good luck getting through - that's where services like Claimyr can help.

I had to do a wage review once when my employer reported my wages to the wrong quarter. It took a while but they fixed it.

Bottom line for the original poster - your $362 weekly benefit is based on your actual earnings during your base period, not current minimum wage rates. If you want to verify it's correct, use the calculator on the Washington ESD website or try to get through to an agent for confirmation.

Perfect summary, thank you! I feel much better understanding how this all works now.

This thread has been really helpful. Good to see people explaining things clearly instead of just complaining about the system.