How much do you get a week for unemployment benefits in Washington?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter from the past year. The maximum weekly benefit is $999 in 2025, but most people get way less than that. For someone making $18/hour at 35 hours, you'd probably qualify for somewhere around $400-500 per week, but it depends on how long you worked at that wage.

definitely file! even if its not a huge amount every dollar helps when your hours get cut like that. the restaurant industry has been brutal lately

You should absolutely file for partial unemployment benefits if your hours were reduced. Washington allows you to work part-time and still collect some UI benefits as long as you're earning less than your weekly benefit amount plus $5. The calculation can be tricky though - they deduct 75% of your weekly earnings from your benefit amount.

I was in a similar situation last year and had such a hard time getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about my benefit amount. Spent literally hours on hold trying to talk to someone. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have this video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Saved me so much frustration!

The weekly amount also depends on if you have any dependents. Washington adds money for dependent children under 18. I think it's like $25 per dependent but don't quote me on the exact amount.

ugh the whole process is such a pain though. you have to do the job search requirements every week and report everywhere you applied. for restaurant work its not that bad but still annoying

I'd definitely recommend filing sooner rather than later. There's usually a waiting week before benefits start, and the whole process can take time especially if there are any issues with your claim. Better to get the ball rolling now while you're still working some hours.

Make sure you have all your employment info ready when you file - employer names, addresses, dates of employment, reason for separation. The more accurate info you provide upfront, the less likely your claim will go into adjudication.

The restaurant industry qualifies for unemployment just like any other job, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I've seen some managers try to discourage servers from filing by saying they won't qualify because of tips, but that's not true.

Just FYI the online system can be glitchy sometimes when you're filing your weekly claims. I always file mine on Sunday mornings when there's less traffic on the site. saves me from getting error messages

Has anyone had success getting their employer to provide more hours instead of having to deal with unemployment? Sometimes it's worth having that conversation first, especially in restaurants where schedules change all the time.

One thing to watch out for - if your restaurant starts offering you more hours later, you need to take them or you could lose your unemployment benefits. Washington ESD requires you to accept suitable work when it's offered.

I had to use that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when my claim got stuck in pending status for weeks. Couldn't get through to Washington ESD no matter how many times I called. Claimyr got me connected to an agent within a couple days and we sorted out the issue. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person to get things moving.

Don't forget you'll get a 1099-G at tax time for any unemployment benefits you receive. It's taxable income so plan accordingly if you don't have taxes withheld from your weekly payments.

the sooner you file the better because you cant get benefits for weeks before you actually file your claim. even if they approve you later, you lose those weeks if you wait too long

Restaurant work can be unpredictable but unemployment is designed to help with exactly these situations. I worked in food service for years and filed for partial benefits several times when hours got cut. It definitely helped bridge the gap until business picked up again.

If you end up having trouble with your claim or need to speak to someone at Washington ESD, I'd suggest trying that Claimyr service mentioned earlier. I was skeptical at first but when I was stuck in adjudication hell for over a month, they helped me get through to an agent who cleared up the issue in one phone call. Sometimes it's worth paying for help when the regular system isn't working.