How much do you get from Washington ESD unemployment benefits?
I'm about to file for unemployment for the first time and I'm trying to figure out what I can expect to receive. I've been working at a warehouse making $18/hour for about 14 months. Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the weekly benefit amount? I've heard different things from coworkers and I want to know what to expect before I submit my claim.
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Sasha Reese
Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit. Your maximum weekly benefit is roughly 3.85% of that quarter's earnings. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $295. Since you're making $18/hour, you're probably looking at somewhere between $400-600 per week depending on your hours.
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Christian Burns
•Thanks! I've been working pretty consistently 40 hours a week so that sounds about right. Do you know how they determine the base period?
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Sasha Reese
•Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file now in January 2025, they'd look at January-December 2024.
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Muhammad Hobbs
i think its like 60% of what you made but not sure. when i got laid off last year i was getting around $500 a week and i made about $22/hour
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Noland Curtis
•It's not exactly 60% - that's a common misconception. Washington ESD has a specific formula based on your quarterly earnings, not your hourly wage.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•oh ok makes sense why the math never worked out when i tried to calculate it myself lol
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Diez Ellis
Just a heads up - getting through to Washington ESD on the phone can be really tough if you need to check your benefit calculation or have questions about your claim. I spent weeks trying to get someone on the line after my initial filing. If you run into that problem, there's a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that can help you get connected to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Christian Burns
•Good to know! I hope I don't need to call but it's good to have backup options.
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Vanessa Figueroa
•Never heard of that service but honestly anything that helps get through to Washington ESD is worth knowing about. Their phone system is terrible.
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Abby Marshall
The system is SO confusing! I've been trying to figure out my benefit amount for weeks. They approved my claim but the weekly amount seems wrong. I made good money last year but my benefits are way lower than I expected. Has anyone else had issues with their calculation being off?
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Sasha Reese
•Did you work for multiple employers during your base period? Sometimes wages from different employers don't get reported correctly to Washington ESD, which can affect your calculation.
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Abby Marshall
•Yes I had two jobs! One was my main job and I did some part-time work on weekends. Maybe that's the issue?
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Sasha Reese
•That could definitely be it. You should call Washington ESD to verify they have all your wage information. All employers are supposed to report wages quarterly but sometimes there are delays or errors.
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Sadie Benitez
Washington ESD is a joke when it comes to calculating benefits fairly. They find every excuse to pay you less than you deserve. I worked my butt off for 3 years straight and they're giving me barely enough to cover rent.
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Drew Hathaway
•I feel you. The whole system seems designed to discourage people from applying.
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Noland Curtis
•While the system has flaws, the calculation formula is actually pretty straightforward and follows state law. If your benefits seem too low, it's worth checking that all your wages were reported correctly.
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Laila Prince
For what it's worth, I just went through this process last month. Made about $19/hour at my last job and I'm getting $520 per week. The online calculator on the Washington ESD website was pretty accurate for estimating what I'd get.
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Christian Burns
•There's an online calculator? I didn't know that existed!
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Laila Prince
•Yeah it's buried in their website somewhere but it gives you a rough estimate if you plug in your quarterly wages.
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Isabel Vega
•The calculator helped me too but I still had to call to get the exact amount confirmed. Took forever to get through though.
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Dominique Adams
One thing to remember is that your weekly benefit amount stays the same throughout your entire benefit year, even if you get a part-time job. But if you work and earn money, they'll reduce your weekly benefit dollar for dollar after you earn more than your weekly benefit amount plus $5.
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Christian Burns
•Good point! So if I get $500/week and work part-time making $300, I'd still get my full $500?
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Dominique Adams
•Exactly. As long as your part-time earnings are less than your weekly benefit plus $5, you get your full benefit. It's designed to encourage people to take part-time work while looking for full-time employment.
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Diez Ellis
Just wanted to follow up on my earlier comment about contacting Washington ESD - I actually used Claimyr myself when I had benefit calculation questions and it saved me so much time. Instead of spending hours hitting redial, they got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. Definitely worth it if you need to talk to someone about your specific situation.
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Marilyn Dixon
•How much does something like that cost though? I'm already worried about money.
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Diez Ellis
•It's pretty reasonable considering the time it saves you. Much cheaper than taking time off work to keep calling Washington ESD all day.
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Louisa Ramirez
Don't forget you'll also owe taxes on your unemployment benefits! Washington state doesn't tax them but the federal government does. I learned that the hard way last tax season.
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Christian Burns
•Oh wow I didn't even think about taxes. Can you have them take taxes out automatically?
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Louisa Ramirez
•Yes, when you file your weekly claims there's an option to have 10% withheld for federal taxes. I'd recommend doing that unless you want a big tax bill next year.
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TommyKapitz
•Definitely do the tax withholding. I owed like $2,000 last year because I forgot about it.
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Angel Campbell
The benefit calculation also depends on how long you worked. If you haven't worked long enough or earned enough during your base period, you might not qualify at all. There are minimum requirements you have to meet.
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Christian Burns
•I've been working for 14 months so I think I should be okay, but what are the minimum requirements?
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Sasha Reese
•You need to have earned at least $1,005 in your highest quarter and your total base period wages need to be at least 1.25 times your highest quarter earnings. With 14 months of steady work you should definitely qualify.
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Payton Black
I'm getting $680 per week and honestly it's been a lifesaver while I look for a new job. The amount seems fair based on what I was making. Just make sure you keep up with your job search requirements because they do check!
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Christian Burns
•What are the job search requirements? I know I have to look for work but I'm not sure what exactly I need to do.
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Payton Black
•You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log of your activities. They can audit you at any time so keep good records!
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Harold Oh
•And register with WorkSourceWA if you haven't already. That's required too.
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Amun-Ra Azra
If anyone is having trouble getting through to Washington ESD about benefit amounts or any other issues, I found Claimyr really helpful. The phone system at Washington ESD is basically impossible to navigate on your own. Claimyr connects you directly to an agent without having to deal with all the busy signals and getting hung up on.
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Summer Green
•I might need to try that. I've been trying to call for two weeks about a benefit calculation error and can never get through.
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Gael Robinson
•Same here. The automated system just hangs up on you after putting you on hold forever.
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Edward McBride
Your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when you first file, and you can collect up to 26 weeks of benefits during that year. So even if you find a job quickly and then lose it again within that 52-week period, you can reopen your claim without having to start over.
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Christian Burns
•That's good to know! Hopefully I won't need anywhere near 26 weeks but it's reassuring to know it's there.
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Darcy Moore
•Just remember that the 26 weeks isn't guaranteed - it depends on your wage history and how much you've earned. Some people max out before 26 weeks.
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Dana Doyle
been on unemployment twice in the past 5 years and both times got different amounts even though i made similar money. the calculation is confusing but it worked out both times. just file and see what happens
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Liam Duke
•That's because it's based on your specific base period wages, not just your most recent job. The quarters they look at change depending on when you file.
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Dana Doyle
•makes sense i guess. never really understood how they pick the time periods but whatever
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Manny Lark
One more thing - if you worked in another state during your base period, that can complicate the calculation. Washington ESD has to request wage information from other states which can delay your claim processing. Just something to keep in mind if that applies to you.
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Christian Burns
•I've only worked in Washington so that shouldn't be an issue for me, but good to know!
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Rita Jacobs
•Yeah I had wages from Oregon and it took an extra month to get my claim processed while they sorted that out.
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