How much do they pay you when you apply for unemployment in Washington?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings from the last 5 quarters before you filed. The maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is $999 but most people get way less than that. Your benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of your total wages from your base year. If you made $18/hour consistently, you'd probably qualify for somewhere between $300-500 per week depending on how many hours you worked.

The payment timing depends on whether your claim gets flagged for adjudication or not. If everything goes smoothly, you should start receiving payments within 2-3 weeks of filing. But if there are any issues with your work history or reason for separation, it could take much longer. I'd recommend filing as soon as possible since there's a waiting week anyway.

Just went through this process last month and it was a nightmare trying to get through to Washington ESD to check on my claim status. Spent literally hours on hold every day for weeks. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Seriously saved my sanity.

OMG THE PHONE SYSTEM IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!!! I've been trying to call for three weeks straight and either get busy signals or sit on hold for 6+ hours just to get disconnected. How is anyone supposed to get help with their claim when you literally cannot reach them???

To answer your original question - I was making about $20/hour at my last job and my weekly benefit ended up being $410. Not amazing but enough to cover rent and basic expenses while job hunting. The hardest part is actually getting approved and dealing with all the weekly claim requirements.

just a heads up - if you quit your job voluntarily you might not qualify at all. washington esd is pretty strict about that. you usually have to be laid off or fired for non-misconduct reasons to get benefits

One thing to keep in mind is that your benefit amount also depends on your work history over the past 18 months. Washington ESD looks at your 'base year' which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. If you've only been working for 2 years, make sure you have enough earnings in that timeframe to qualify.

the whole system is designed to screw over working people. they make it as hard as possible to actually get the benefits you paid into with your taxes

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked great. Was skeptical at first but after spending weeks trying to get through myself, I figured it was worth a shot. Got connected to an agent who helped me understand why my claim was stuck in adjudication.

For someone making $18/hour retail, you're probably looking at around $350-400 per week if you worked full time. That's based on the formula they use. Just remember you'll need to file weekly claims and do your job search activities to keep getting paid.

whatever you do, make sure you file your weekly claims on time every week. i missed one week and it was a huge hassle to get it sorted out. had to call and explain the situation multiple times

The maximum benefit in Washington is almost $1000 per week but that's only if you were making serious money. Most regular jobs will get you somewhere in the $300-600 range depending on your earnings history.

Just wanted to add that if your claim gets stuck in adjudication like mine did, don't panic. It can take several weeks but they do eventually process it. The hardest part is getting answers about what's happening with your claim during that time.

The Claimyr thing actually sounds legit. I've been putting off calling Washington ESD because I know it's going to be a nightmare. Might give that a try instead of wasting whole days on hold.

Don't forget that unemployment benefits are taxable income! You can choose to have taxes withheld or pay them later, but make sure you plan for that when tax time comes around.

been on unemployment twice in washington and the payment amounts were pretty fair both times. the real challenge is dealing with the bureaucracy and making sure you meet all the requirements every week

If you're filing soon, make sure you have all your employment info ready - dates, wages, reason for separation, etc. The more accurate info you provide upfront, the less likely your claim will get delayed.

The hardest part for me was the waiting. Even when everything goes smoothly, it takes a few weeks to get your first payment. Make sure you have some savings to cover expenses during that initial period.