How much do you get if you file for unemployment in Washington state?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter during your base period. Generally it's about 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's a minimum of $295 and maximum of $999 per week as of 2025. With your income level you'd probably get somewhere in the $400-600 range weekly but it depends on how consistent your hours were.

i got $545 a week when i filed last year, was making about $25/hour but only worked like 30 hours most weeks because of the slow season in construction

Just be aware that you'll have to meet the job search requirements - 3 job contacts per week minimum. And if you're partially employed you can still get some benefits but they'll reduce your weekly amount based on what you earn. The Washington ESD has a partial benefits calculator on their website that's pretty helpful.

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation and it's impossible! Their phone lines are always busy and I get disconnected constantly. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a real person at Washington ESD in like 20 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Totally worth it when you need to talk to someone about your specific situation.

The benefit calculator on Washington ESD website is pretty accurate once you figure out how to use it. You need your wage information from your last job(s) and it'll give you an estimate. Just remember the amount they calculate is before taxes - they'll withhold federal taxes if you elect to have them do it.

ugh the whole system is such a nightmare. I'm getting $487 a week which isn't even close to what I was making and they make you jump through so many hoops just to get it. the job search requirements are ridiculous when there aren't even that many decent jobs out there

Quick update - I found the benefit calculator on the Washington ESD site and based on my wages from last year it looks like I'd get around $520 per week. That would actually help a lot while I'm looking for a new job. Thanks everyone for the info!

Just a heads up that if you quit your job you probably won't qualify unless you had good cause. Washington ESD is pretty strict about that. If you were laid off or terminated without misconduct you should be fine though.

my sister got like $800 a week but she was making good money at microsoft before she got laid off. the formula is weird though because it doesn't just look at your last paycheck

Does anyone know if there are still extended benefits available? I heard there were extra weeks added during COVID but not sure if that's still a thing.

I tried using that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier and honestly it worked great. I was skeptical at first but I needed to ask about my benefit amount calculation because I had multiple jobs and it was confusing. Got connected to a Washington ESD rep in about 15 minutes instead of calling for days.

Remember you can work part time and still collect some benefits. They use a formula where they subtract your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. So if you get $500/week in UI and earn $200 working part time, you'd still get $300 from unemployment.

just make sure you report ANY income on your weekly claims even if it's just like $50. they will find out and it can cause overpayment issues later

The maximum benefit in Washington is actually pretty decent compared to other states. $999/week is almost $52k annually if you got it for a full year, though obviously you only get 26 weeks max.

Pro tip: when you file your initial claim make sure you have all your employment history for the last 18 months ready. Speeds up the process significantly if they don't have to request wage records from employers.

Another thing - if your claim goes into adjudication it can take weeks to resolve. That's when you really need to be able to talk to someone at Washington ESD to understand what's happening. The Claimyr service people mentioned earlier saved me during that process.

I've been getting $643/week and it's been a lifesaver while job hunting. The key is to file immediately after your last day of work - don't wait thinking you'll find something quickly.

washington esd benefit amounts are based on your highest quarter earnings but you need to have worked in at least two quarters of your base period to qualify. also need minimum total earnings which i think is around $3800 now

Final thought - don't stress too much about the exact amount until you actually file and get your determination letter. The calculators give estimates but your official benefit amount depends on the exact wage records Washington ESD has on file for you.