How much can you make on Washington ESD unemployment benefits - 2025 rates?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $1,019. Your benefit is roughly 3.85% of your total wages in that highest quarter. Since you made $85k annually, you're probably looking at somewhere between $600-900 per week depending on how your earnings were distributed throughout the year.

That's higher than I expected! So it's based on just one quarter, not the whole year?

Exactly. They take your highest earning quarter from your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed) and multiply by 3.85%. Then they divide by 13 to get your weekly amount.

Just went through this process myself. The Washington ESD online calculator is pretty accurate but it takes forever to get through to someone on the phone to verify. I spent literally 3 hours on hold trying to confirm my benefit amount calculation.

I had the same problem with getting through to Washington ESD! Kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much time and frustration.

Interesting, never heard of that. How does it work exactly?

It basically handles the calling and waiting for you. You just tell them what you need help with and they get you connected to the right Washington ESD department. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income so you'll want to have taxes withheld or set money aside for tax season. Washington ESD can withhold 10% federal tax if you request it when filing your weekly claims.

Good point about taxes! I forgot about that. Is there state tax on unemployment in Washington?

No, Washington doesn't have state income tax so you only need to worry about federal taxes on your UI benefits.

Wait so theres a maximum of $1019 per week? That seems really high compared to other states I've heard about

Washington has one of the highest maximum benefit amounts in the country. The $1,019 is for 2025 - it gets adjusted annually based on the state's average wage.

Yeah Washington ESD benefits are pretty generous compared to most places. But you have to meet the earnings requirements to get the maximum.

Don't forget you can only collect for 26 weeks maximum in most cases. And you have to be actively searching for work and filing your weekly claims on time or they'll stop your benefits.

How strict are they about the job search requirements? I know I need to log activities in WorkSourceWA but wondering what counts.

You need at least 3 job search activities per week. Can be applications, networking, interviews, job fairs, etc. Just make sure to document everything in your WorkSourceWA account.

They do audit job search logs randomly so don't fake it. I know someone who got disqualified for not having real job search activities.

Your benefit amount also depends on if you have any other income while collecting. If you work part-time, Washington ESD will reduce your weekly benefit based on how much you earn. There's a formula for partial benefits.

I might do some freelance work while collecting. How much can I earn before it affects my benefits?

You need to report ALL income on your weekly claim. They subtract your earnings minus $5 from your weekly benefit amount. So if your benefit is $700 and you earn $200, you'd get $495 that week.

Make sure your employer didn't contest your claim. If they dispute it, your benefits could get held up in adjudication for weeks while Washington ESD investigates. I'm dealing with that nightmare right now.

Ugh adjudication is the worst. Mine took 6 weeks to resolve. Had to provide all kinds of documentation about why I was laid off vs fired.

I was stuck in adjudication hell for 2 months. Couldn't get through to anyone at Washington ESD to check status. Finally got help through that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier - they were able to connect me to an adjudicator who explained what documents were still needed.

How much did that cost? I'm desperate at this point.

Worth every penny to finally get answers. Much cheaper than missing more benefit payments while waiting in adjudication limbo.

Has anyone had issues with the benefit calculation being wrong? My weekly amount seems low compared to what I should be getting based on my wages.

You can request a redetermination if you think there's an error. Washington ESD will review your wage records and recalculate if needed. Sometimes employers don't report wages correctly to the state.

How do I request that? Through the online account or do I need to call?

You can do it online through your eServices account or by calling. If you call, expect long wait times unless you use one of those callback services.

Also keep in mind if you're on standby status (temporary layoff expecting to return to work), the rules are a bit different. You don't have to do job searches but you still need to file weekly claims.

My layoff is permanent so I guess I'm on regular UI benefits. Good to know about standby though.

Standby is nice because no job search requirements but you're still limited to 26 weeks total. After that you'd need to switch to regular UI if you're still unemployed.

Don't spend all your benefits right away thinking they'll last forever. 26 weeks goes by faster than you think, especially in this job market. Start looking immediately even if you're getting good benefits.

This is solid advice. I burned through my whole benefit period because I was picky about jobs at first. Wish I'd started seriously looking sooner.

Yeah I'm definitely planning to start applying right away. Don't want to get caught with no income after 26 weeks.

One more thing - if you exhaust your regular 26 weeks and unemployment is still high, sometimes extended benefits kick in. But don't count on it, those are rare and depend on economic conditions.

Extended benefits haven't been available in Washington for a while now. The state unemployment rate has to be really high to trigger them.

Better to plan like you only have 26 weeks and be pleasantly surprised if extensions become available.

Just make sure you understand all the rules before you start collecting. Washington ESD is strict about eligibility requirements and if you mess up they can create an overpayment that you have to pay back.

What's the most common way people create overpayments?

Not reporting work income properly or failing job search requirements are the big ones. Also working while claiming benefits without reporting it.

I got hit with an overpayment for not logging job searches correctly. Washington ESD audited my WorkSourceWA account and found gaps. Had to pay back 3 weeks of benefits plus penalties.