How much can you collect from Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and you can collect for up to 26 weeks typically. Your benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings divided by 13 weeks.

i think the minimum is like $201 per week and max is $999 but dont quote me on that. you should be able to get an estimate on the washington esd website before you file

Getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about benefit amounts is nearly impossible with their phone system. I spent hours trying to reach someone last month just to verify my calculation. If you really need to talk to an agent about your specific situation, I discovered this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually gets you through to ESD agents. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration.

The benefit calculation also depends on having sufficient earnings in your base period. You need at least $3,400 in total base period earnings and earnings in at least two quarters. If you don't qualify under the regular base period, they'll check your alternate base period which includes more recent quarters.

Washington's benefits are actually pretty decent compared to other states. The $999 max is higher than a lot of places. Just remember you'll pay taxes on unemployment benefits so factor that in when budgeting.

Does anyone know if overtime pay counts toward the earnings calculation? I worked a lot of OT last year and wondering if that helps boost my benefit amount.

The 26 weeks is just the standard duration right? I thought I heard something about extended benefits being available sometimes?

Thanks everyone for all the info! Sounds like I should be able to get a decent weekly amount if I need to file. Hoping I won't have to but good to know what to expect.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you have any severance pay or vacation payout, that might affect when your benefits start. Washington ESD has rules about how those payments impact your claim.

The benefit amount calculation can be confusing but Washington ESD is pretty good about explaining it in your determination letter once you file. That letter breaks down exactly how they calculated your weekly benefit amount.

Just remember you have to actively look for work and document your job search activities to keep receiving benefits. The weekly claim process requires reporting your job search efforts.

If you're in a union, definitely check if they have any supplemental unemployment benefits. Some unions have funds that can add to your state benefits.

Another thing about reaching Washington ESD - their online system is actually pretty good for checking benefit amounts and filing weekly claims. It's just the phone system that's a nightmare. Though like I mentioned, Claimyr really saved me when I needed to speak with someone directly about my specific situation.

The earnings requirements can trip people up. You need earnings in at least 2 quarters of your base period AND your total base period earnings need to be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter. Most people meet this but it's worth checking.

Don't forget that if you do file for unemployment and find part-time work, you can still collect partial benefits in Washington. They have a formula for calculating reduced benefits when you have part-time earnings.

Make sure your employer has been reporting your wages correctly to ESD. If there are discrepancies it can affect your benefit calculation and cause delays in processing your claim.

The weekly benefit amount seems decent but remember it's only temporary. The goal is to get back to work as soon as possible. Use the time wisely for job searching and skill building.

Washington also has some training programs that can extend your benefits if you're enrolled in approved retraining. Worth looking into if you're considering changing careers.

One last thing - file immediately when you become unemployed. There's a one-week waiting period and benefits are only paid from the date you file, not from when you lost your job.

This has been a really helpful thread! Lots of good information about Washington ESD benefits. Hope OP doesn't need to use any of this knowledge but at least now we're all better informed.