How much do people get from Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

That's helpful, thanks! Do you know if tips count toward the calculation? I make decent tips but not sure if my employer reports all of them.

Only reported tips count unfortunately. If your employer wasn't reporting all your tips to Washington ESD, those won't be included in your benefit calculation.

Actually the minimum is $332 as of 2025, they raise it every year. But yeah, most people don't get the maximum unless they were making really good money.

I had the same problem trying to reach Washington ESD! Found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a real person at Washington ESD in like 20 minutes. Check out claimyr.com, they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Interesting, I'll have to check that out. Getting through to Washington ESD on the phone is such a nightmare.

That sounds about right for what I'd expect. Is there a waiting period before benefits start?

There's a one-week waiting period, so you won't get paid for your first week of unemployment. After that, as long as you file your weekly claims and meet job search requirements, you should get paid.

Don't forget about the job search requirement - you need to make 3 job contacts per week and keep a log. Washington ESD can audit your job search activities.

Adjudication can take 4-6 weeks unfortunately. Usually it's because they need to verify something about your work history or reason for separation.

That's so frustrating. Bills don't wait for adjudication to finish.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr - I needed to talk to someone at Washington ESD about my adjudication delay and couldn't get through the normal way. Worth every penny to actually reach a human.

Good point, I didn't think about taxes. What percentage do they usually withhold?

It's 10% federal tax withholding if you elect it. No state income tax in Washington so that's not a concern.

Exactly - they use your gross wages before taxes and deductions to calculate your benefit amount.

26 weeks should be enough time to find something new hopefully. What happens if you're still unemployed after that?

You'd need to file a new claim if you have enough new wages in your base period. Otherwise you might be out of luck unless there are extended benefits available.

Great advice. The job search requirement is 3 activities per week, and they need to be legitimate job search activities - not just browsing job boards.

What counts as a legitimate job search activity?

Applying for jobs, contacting employers directly, attending job fairs, networking events, interviews. Just looking at job postings doesn't count.

That gives me a good reference point, thanks. How long did it take for your first payment?

About 2 weeks after I filed, but I didn't have any issues with my claim. Some people wait longer if there are problems.

This is critical - you must file your weekly claim every week to maintain eligibility, even during adjudication.

Wish someone had told me that earlier. Cost me like $800 in benefits.

That's good to know. So I could pick up a few shifts somewhere and still get partial benefits?

Exactly. As long as you report all your earnings honestly on your weekly claim, they'll calculate partial benefits.

Yeah I'm hoping I won't need it but good to understand how it works just in case.

Good point. You can't get benefits for weeks before you actually file your claim, even if you were unemployed during those weeks.

Right? It's amazing how much time and frustration it saves. I was skeptical at first but it really works.

Good to know there's an option besides sitting on hold forever. I'll keep that in mind.

Perfect summary, thank you! That's about what I was hoping to hear.

Absolutely. Hopefully I won't need it, but if I do I'll treat it as a bridge to something better.

Good tip! I'll set that up this week just to be prepared.

Yes, having that ready ahead of time saves you hassle when you actually need to file. Smart planning.

This was incredibly helpful, thank you everyone! Feel much more prepared now.

Can confirm - used it myself and it's a game changer for actually reaching Washington ESD staff.