How much do you get for unemployment benefits from Washington ESD?

Thanks! So if I was making about $1,140 per week before taxes I'd probably get around $600-650 weekly?

That sounds about right, assuming your earnings were consistent throughout your base period. The exact formula is a bit more complex but that's a reasonable estimate.

The phone situation with Washington ESD is ridiculous. I tried calling for two weeks straight and never got through to a human.

I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr - it's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. Check out claimyr.com, they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much time and frustration.

never heard of that but might be worth trying if i need to call them again

My hours were pretty consistent except during busy season when I worked a lot of overtime. Will that help or hurt my benefit calculation?

If the overtime was during your highest earning quarter it should help increase your weekly benefit amount. Washington ESD uses your highest quarter to determine benefits so more earnings in that quarter is better.

I tried to find that calculator too and gave up. Their website is a maze honestly.

Right? Everything with Washington ESD seems unnecessarily complicated. Even filing the weekly claims is confusing at first.

How many job search activities do you have to do per week? And what counts as a valid activity?

I think it's 3 per week minimum but check the current requirements. Things like applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, or doing skills training can count. You have to log them in your WorkSourceWA account.

The job search requirement is actually 3 activities per week for most people, but it can vary based on your situation. Washington ESD provides a list of approved activities on their website.

That's helpful to know, gives me a better sense of what to expect. Did you have any issues with your claim or was it pretty straightforward?

Mine went into adjudication for about 3 weeks because my employer contested it initially. That was stressful but it eventually got resolved. If you have any issues getting through to Washington ESD about your claim status, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really helped me.

Good point, I hadn't thought about the tax implications. Do they withhold taxes automatically or do you have to request it?

you can choose to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you file your claim but nothing for state taxes. washington doesnt have state income tax anyway so thats not an issue

That's a good explanation of the formula. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 as I mentioned earlier, and there's also a minimum of $295 per week.

Thanks for adding those current amounts. The minimums and maximums do change annually so it's important to check the current rates.

How does that work exactly? Do they reduce your benefits dollar for dollar based on what you earn?

It's not dollar for dollar. Washington ESD has a formula where they subtract a portion of your part-time earnings from your weekly benefit amount. You can usually earn up to about 1/3 of your weekly benefit without any reduction, then they start reducing benefits above that.

I was laid off due to company downsizing so hopefully that shouldn't be an issue for me.

Layoffs due to lack of work are usually pretty straightforward for approval. You should be fine as long as you meet the wage requirements.

yep learned that one too. had an old student loan garnishment that took like $75 per week from my benefits

Makes sense. I'll probably file tomorrow then. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!

Good luck with your claim! Remember to file your weekly claims on time every week and keep track of your job search activities. The system can be confusing at first but you'll get the hang of it.

I wish I had known about that service when I was dealing with my overpayment issue last year. Spent so much time trying to get through to explain the situation.

Yeah Claimyr really is a game changer for dealing with Washington ESD phone issues. Worth checking out their demo video if you think you might need to call them at some point.

Good to know, I'll try to be patient with the process.

this is so important. i had my end date wrong by one day and it held up my claim for weeks while they investigated

Exactly, those small details matter more than people realize with Washington ESD's system.