How much do you get for unemployment in Washington - what's the weekly benefit amount?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. Generally it's about 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's a maximum weekly benefit of $999 in 2025. So if you made $55k annually, you're probably looking at somewhere between $400-600 per week depending on how your earnings were distributed.

just filed last month and got approved for $520/week. I was making around $58k so sounds like you'll be in a similar range. the calculation is confusing but the amount shows up in your account once approved

Washington unemployment benefits are calculated as about 60% of your average weekly wage, but there's a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year. For 2025, I think the max is around $999 per week. Since you were making $4,200/month (about $970/week), you'd probably get close to the maximum.

The exact amount depends on your earnings history over the past year. Washington ESD looks at your highest earning quarter and uses that to calculate your weekly benefit amount. I was making similar money and got $943 per week.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your benefit amount or claim status, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about benefit calculations or check your claim status, I used Claimyr recently and it was incredibly helpful. They have a service that automatically calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Way better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.

Here's the formula Washington ESD uses: They take your two highest earning quarters from your base year, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.6. But there are minimum and maximum amounts. For 2025, minimum is $295/week and maximum is $999/week.

dont forget you gotta pay taxes on unemployment too... learned that the hard way last year when i owed like $2000 at tax time

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE YOU! They don't want you to know exactly how much you'll get because then you might actually plan your finances properly. I've been dealing with Washington ESD for months and they change their story every time I talk to someone different.

Also remember the maximum duration is usually 26 weeks of benefits, though that can change during economic downturns. Make sure you're actively job searching because Washington ESD requires at least 3 job contacts per week.

To give you a more specific example - if your highest quarter was $15,000 in earnings, your weekly benefit would be approximately $577 ($15,000 × 0.0385). But there's also a minimum of $295/week and maximum of $999/week in Washington for 2025.

omg i wish i had known about the quarterly thing before i filed. i thought it was just based on my last job's salary and couldn't figure out why my benefit amount seemed low

The amount also depends if you have any dependents. Washington ESD adds extra money for dependent allowances - I think it's like $25 per dependent per week.

One thing to keep in mind is that unemployment benefits are taxable income. So that $500-600 per week isn't what you'll actually take home - you'll owe taxes on it unless you elect to have them withheld upfront.

Wait so if I made $60k last year but most of it was in Q4 because I got a big promotion and raise, my benefits would be calculated on that higher quarter? That would actually work out better for me than an average.

This has been incredibly helpful everyone. I feel much more confident about filing now that I understand how the calculation works. One more question - does the amount change if you're on standby vs regular unemployment?

MAKE SURE you file your initial claim as soon as possible after you lose your job. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file, even if you were eligible. I waited 2 weeks and lost out on like $1400.

also remember you can get benefits for up to 26 weeks in Washington (sometimes longer during economic downturns). so if you're getting $500/week that's potentially $13,000 total

Don't get too excited about the amounts people are throwing around here. Washington ESD will find ANY reason to delay or deny your claim. I've been waiting 6 weeks for my adjudication to clear and still haven't seen a penny.

Been getting Washington ESD benefits for 3 months now and the weekly amount has been consistent. Just make sure you don't mess up your weekly claims because if you miss one, it can delay everything. I had to use that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier to get help fixing a missed week.

For situations like that where you're stuck in adjudication, getting through to an actual Washington ESD agent is crucial. That's exactly the kind of thing where Claimyr really helped me - I was able to get status updates and push my case forward instead of just waiting indefinitely.

If your claim goes into adjudication for any reason, don't panic but also don't just wait. I waited 6 weeks for mine to clear and wish I'd called Washington ESD sooner to check on the status.

One thing nobody mentioned - you might be eligible for partial benefits even if you're working part-time. Washington ESD has a formula where they subtract your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if you get a part-time job while collecting, you could still get some unemployment.

Pro tip: set up direct deposit when you file your claim. Getting paper checks takes forever and sometimes they get lost in the mail. With direct deposit I get my money within 1-2 days of filing my weekly claim.

Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - I used them again this week to get help with a WorkSource registration issue that was holding up my benefits. Really saved me from hours of phone calls. If anyone else needs to reach Washington ESD quickly, it's worth checking out their demo video.

The weekly benefit amount is nice but remember it's temporary. Use the time to really focus on finding a good job rather than just getting by on unemployment. I made that mistake and ended up scrambling when my benefits ran out.

Double-check that your employer reported your wages correctly to Washington ESD. My benefit amount was lower than expected because my last employer had incorrect wage information in the system. Took weeks to get it fixed.

Bottom line - with your salary you should get close to the maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington. File as soon as possible, set up direct deposit, keep good job search records, and don't hesitate to call Washington ESD if you have questions about your claim.

Just to clarify the math for anyone confused - the 3.85% is calculated weekly, not annually. So if your highest quarter was $15,000, that's $15,000 ÷ 13 weeks = $1,154 per week average in that quarter. Then $1,154 × 0.50 = $577 weekly benefit (they use about 50% of your average weekly wage).

Has anyone noticed if the benefit amounts have increased recently? I remember hearing they were supposed to adjust for inflation or something.

pro tip: when you file your weekly claims make sure you report ANY income you receive that week, even if it's just $20 from a side gig. they will find out and it can mess up your whole claim

one thing that surprised me was how fast the direct deposit actually comes once you're approved and file your weekly claim. usually hits my account within 2-3 business days

MAKE SURE YOU SAVE EVERY EMAIL AND DOCUMENT from Washington ESD. They love to claim they never sent you something or that you didn't respond to their requests. I've learned to screenshot everything.

For anyone who's still confused about their specific benefit amount or has questions about their claim calculation, talking to an actual Washington ESD representative is really the best way to get accurate information for your situation. The Claimyr service I mentioned earlier (claimyr.com) makes that process so much easier than trying to call on your own.

Just remember that your first payment might be delayed by the one-week waiting period, so don't panic if you don't get paid for the first week you're eligible. That's normal for Washington unemployment claims.

To wrap up the calculation discussion - the key factors are: 1) Your highest quarter earnings in the base period, 2) The current max/min benefit amounts ($999/$295 for 2025), and 3) The 50% replacement rate formula. Most people earning $50-60k annually will fall somewhere in the $400-650 weekly range.