How much can I get on Washington ESD unemployment benefits - weekly payment amounts?

Washington ESD uses your highest quarter of earnings from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. Generally it's about 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings. So if you made $13,000 in your best quarter, you'd get around $500 per week. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999.

i think the max is like $999 now but most people dont get that much. you have to have been making really good money to hit the max

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check your potential benefit amount, I discovered this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less frustrating than trying to call myself.

The calculation is more complicated than people think. Washington ESD looks at your base period which is the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed. Then they take your highest quarter and multiply by 0.0385. But you also have to meet minimum earnings requirements in your base period.

JUST A WARNING - dont count on getting benefits right away. My claim has been stuck in adjudication for over a month now and I still haven't seen a penny. The system is completely broken and they never answer their phones!!!

Don't let one bad experience scare you. Most claims process within 2-3 weeks if there are no issues. The key is making sure you file correctly and provide all required documentation upfront.

i got like $380 a week when i was making 45k. not great but better than nothing i guess

The whole system is designed to make it as hard as possible to get benefits. They hope you'll just give up and find another job before they have to pay you anything.

Make sure you file as soon as possible after your last day of work. There's a waiting week but the sooner you file, the sooner that week starts counting.

Seriously though, if you run into any problems with your claim or need to talk to someone at Washington ESD, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work. I was skeptical at first but it saved me hours of calling and redialing busy signals.

Don't forget you have to do job search activities while you're collecting benefits. They require 3 job search activities per week and you have to keep a log.

The benefit amount calculator on the Washington ESD website is pretty accurate if you want to get an estimate before filing.

my sister got denied because she quit her job instead of getting laid off. make sure you have a good reason for leaving or you might not qualify

Also remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld or pay them later when you file your return.

The maximum benefit duration is 26 weeks in Washington, but that can be extended during high unemployment periods. Right now I think it's just the standard 26 weeks.

if you worked in multiple states you might need to file in the state where you worked most recently or made the most money. can get complicated

Pro tip: set up direct deposit when you file your claim. Paper checks take forever and sometimes get lost in the mail.

I had to use Claimyr when my benefits got cut off unexpectedly and I couldn't figure out why. Turned out there was an issue with my job search log that I didn't even know about. The agent they connected me with got it sorted out in like 10 minutes.

Bottom line - file as soon as you can, be honest about everything, and keep good records. The system works if you follow the rules, even though it can be frustrating to navigate.