How much can you get on unemployment benefits from Washington ESD?

Washington ESD uses your earnings from the last 18 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They look at your highest earning quarter and divide by 26. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 plus $25 for dependents if you qualify. With your salary you'll probably get a decent amount.

The exact formula is: take your two highest earning quarters in your base period, add them together, divide by 52, then multiply by 0.0385. That gives you your weekly benefit rate. The $999 max is correct for 2025. You can also use the benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website to get an estimate.

good luck getting through to anyone at Washington ESD on the phone lol. I've been trying for weeks to get someone to explain my benefit amount and can never get past the busy signal

Just to add - you can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks in most cases, sometimes longer if there are extensions. Also remember you have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits so factor that into your budgeting.

Make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements too. You need to have earned at least $3,465 in your base period and meet the job separation requirements. Washington ESD will verify everything when you apply.

One thing to keep in mind - if you had any other income like severance pay or vacation payout, that might affect when your benefits start. Washington ESD considers that deductible income.

The system is so confusing honestly. I'm getting like $340 a week but my friend who made less than me gets $450. Makes no sense.

Don't forget you have to actively look for work and document your job search activities. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week to maintain eligibility for benefits.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD about your benefit calculation, I had success using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. They connected me to an agent who walked through my benefit determination and explained why my amount was what it was.

Pro tip: file your initial claim as soon as possible after your last day of work. Benefits are paid from the date you file, not from when you became unemployed. Don't wait thinking you might find a job quick.

Also remember that if you work part-time while collecting benefits, you can still receive partial unemployment as long as you earn less than 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount.

the whole system is a mess tbh. took them 6 weeks to process my claim and then my benefit amount was way lower than the calculator estimated. finally got someone on the phone through claimyr to explain it

For what it's worth, $52k annually should put you close to the higher end of benefit amounts in Washington. You'll probably qualify for $600-700 per week depending on how your earnings were distributed across quarters.

Make sure to set up your online account at https://secure.esd.wa.gov right away. You'll need it for filing weekly claims and checking your benefit status. The site can be glitchy sometimes but it's the main way to manage your claim.