How much do you collect for unemployment benefits in Washington state?
Just got laid off from my warehouse job after 18 months and I'm trying to figure out what to expect from Washington ESD unemployment benefits. I was making about $22/hour working 40 hours a week. Does anyone know how they calculate the weekly benefit amount? I've heard different things from coworkers - some say it's half your wages, others say there's a maximum. Also wondering if there are any taxes taken out automatically or if I need to set money aside. This is my first time filing for UI so any help would be appreciated.
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Chloe Green
Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your highest earning quarter in your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. The maximum weekly benefit is currently $999 per week for 2025. To get the exact amount, they take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then that result gets divided by 2. So if you made $14,000 in your highest quarter, that's $14,000 ÷ 26 = $538, then $538 ÷ 2 = $269 per week.
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Logan Scott
•That's helpful! So it's not just based on my most recent wages? I actually made more money last spring when I had overtime opportunities.
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Chloe Green
•Exactly right - they look at all quarters in your base period to find the highest one. That overtime from spring could definitely help your WBA if it falls in the right quarter.
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Lucas Adams
I was in a similar situation last year making around the same hourly wage. My weekly benefit ended up being around $340 per week. The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator that can give you an estimate if you know your quarterly earnings. Just remember you can choose to have 10% federal taxes withheld automatically when you file your weekly claims.
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Logan Scott
•Thanks! I'll definitely look for that calculator. Did you have the taxes taken out or pay at the end of the year?
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Lucas Adams
•I had them take it out automatically - made tax season way easier. You can change this election anytime during your claim if you decide differently.
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Harper Hill
•Smart move on the taxes. I didn't do that and ended up owing like $800 when I filed my return.
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Caden Nguyen
Getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about benefit amounts can be impossible with their phone system. I spent literally 6 hours trying to call them last month about my WBA calculation. If you need to actually talk to someone about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration!
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Logan Scott
•Interesting, never heard of that. How does it work exactly? Do they call for you or something?
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Caden Nguyen
•Yeah they basically handle the calling process and get you connected to an actual Washington ESD representative. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.
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Avery Flores
•That sounds too good to be true honestly. How much do they charge for something like that?
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Zoe Gonzalez
The benefit amount also depends on how many dependents you have. If you have qualifying dependents, you can get an additional $25 per dependent per week added to your WBA. Not a huge amount but every bit helps when you're unemployed.
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Logan Scott
•I don't have any kids so that won't apply to me, but good to know for others reading this.
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Ashley Adams
•Wait, what counts as a qualifying dependent? I have a 19-year-old who's still in high school.
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Zoe Gonzalez
•Children under 18 or under 19 if still in high school count. Your 19-year-old in high school should qualify for the dependent allowance.
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Alexis Robinson
Don't forget you also have to meet the job search requirements to keep getting benefits. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and you have to log them in WorkSourceWA. The benefit amount is only part of the equation - you have to actively look for work too.
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Logan Scott
•Good point! I was so focused on the money part I hadn't thought about the job search requirements yet.
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Aaron Lee
•The WorkSourceWA system is actually pretty user-friendly for logging your job searches. Just make sure you do it consistently every week.
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Harper Hill
One thing to watch out for - if you worked in multiple states or for the federal government, your benefit calculation might be different. Washington ESD has to coordinate with other states for what they call a 'combined wage claim.' This can delay your benefits while they sort everything out.
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Logan Scott
•I've only worked in Washington so that shouldn't be an issue for me thankfully.
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Chloe Mitchell
•I had to deal with the combined wage claim thing when I moved here from Oregon. Took an extra 3 weeks to get my first payment while they coordinated with Oregon's system.
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Michael Adams
Just a heads up that your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when you first file, but you can only collect benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks during that year (unless there are extended benefits available). So even if you find work quickly and then get laid off again 6 months later, you'd use the same claim if it's within that 52-week period.
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Logan Scott
•That's confusing - so I could potentially use up all my weeks early in the year and have nothing left if I get laid off again?
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Michael Adams
•Exactly. That's why it's important to actively job search and not just rely on unemployment as long-term income. It's designed to be temporary assistance.
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Natalie Wang
•This happened to my brother actually. He collected benefits early in 2024, found work for a few months, then got laid off again and had already used most of his 26 weeks.
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Noah Torres
Make sure when you file your initial claim that all your employer information is accurate. If Washington ESD can't verify your wages with your employers, it can delay your benefit determination. I had to submit pay stubs because one of my previous employers didn't respond to their wage request.
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Logan Scott
•How long did that delay your benefits? I'm worried about bills piling up while waiting.
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Noah Torres
•It added about 2 weeks to the process, but once they had the pay stubs everything moved forward normally. Just be prepared to provide documentation if needed.
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Samantha Hall
The weekly benefit amount stays the same throughout your claim period, but remember that if you do any part-time work while collecting benefits, they'll reduce your weekly payment. You can earn up to 25% of your WBA without any reduction, but anything over that gets deducted dollar-for-dollar.
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Logan Scott
•So if my weekly benefit is $300, I could earn $75 in part-time work without it affecting my benefits?
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Samantha Hall
•Exactly right. But if you earned $100 that week, they'd deduct $25 from your benefit payment since you went over the 25% threshold.
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Ryan Young
•This is why I always track my hours carefully when I pick up gig work. Easy to accidentally go over that threshold.
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Sophia Clark
Has anyone else noticed that the online system sometimes glitches when you're trying to file your weekly claims? Last week it kept timing out when I was entering my job search activities. So frustrating when you're trying to make sure you get paid on time.
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Katherine Harris
•Yes! The system seems to crash every Sunday evening when everyone's trying to file. I've learned to file early in the week to avoid the rush.
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Madison Allen
•If you're having trouble with the online system consistently, you might want to try calling in your weekly claim. It's not as convenient but at least you know it went through.
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Sophia Clark
•Calling takes forever though. I've been on hold for over an hour before just to file a weekly claim.
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Joshua Wood
For what it's worth, I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when I was having issues getting through to discuss my benefit calculation. It actually worked really well - they got me connected to a Washington ESD rep in like 20 minutes instead of the hours I was spending trying to call myself. Worth considering if you need to talk to someone urgently about your benefits.
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Justin Evans
•I'm still skeptical about paying for something that should be free, but if it actually works...
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Joshua Wood
•I was skeptical too, but honestly my time is worth something and I was wasting entire days trying to get through on my own.
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Emily Parker
•How much did they charge you? I might consider it if it's reasonable.
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Ezra Collins
Don't forget that unemployment benefits are taxable income at the federal level and Washington doesn't have state income tax. Make sure you either have taxes withheld or set money aside for tax season. I learned this the hard way my first time on unemployment.
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Logan Scott
•Thanks for the reminder! I think I'll have them withhold the 10% federal tax to avoid a surprise at tax time.
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Victoria Scott
•Smart choice. Even with the 10% withheld, you might still owe a little depending on your other income for the year, but it won't be a huge shock.
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Benjamin Johnson
The monetary determination notice you get from Washington ESD will show your exact weekly benefit amount and how many weeks you're eligible for. Keep that document safe - you'll need it if you ever have to appeal a decision or if future employers ask about your unemployment history.
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Logan Scott
•When do you typically get that notice? I just filed my claim yesterday.
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Benjamin Johnson
•Usually within a week or two of filing your initial claim. You can also see this information in your online account once it's processed.
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Zara Perez
•I still have mine from 3 years ago. Never know when you might need it for reference!
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Daniel Rogers
One last thing - if you disagree with your benefit amount calculation, you have the right to appeal within 30 days of receiving your monetary determination. Sometimes Washington ESD makes mistakes in calculating wages or doesn't include all your employers. Don't just accept it if something looks wrong.
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Logan Scott
•Good to know I have options if something doesn't look right. Hopefully it won't come to that though!
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Aaliyah Reed
•I had to appeal once because they missed wages from a temp agency job. The appeal process was pretty straightforward and they corrected my benefit amount.
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Daniel Rogers
•That's exactly the kind of situation where appealing makes sense. Always double-check that all your employers are included in the wage calculation.
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