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

Washington ESD uses your highest quarter wages from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. Your benefit amount will be roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter wages, but it can't exceed that maximum. Since you made $52k annually, you're probably looking at somewhere around $500-600 per week depending on how your wages were distributed across quarters.

I was making about the same as you and got $547 per week when I filed last year. The calculation is kind of confusing but basically they look at your four highest-paid quarters out of the last five quarters before you filed. Then they take your highest quarter and multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly amount.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD about benefit calculations or any other issues, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. I used it when my claim was stuck in adjudication and finally got answers about my benefit amount.

Just a heads up - your benefit amount also depends on having enough wage credits in your base period. You need to have earned at least $3,900 in your base period and wages in at least two quarters. With your salary that shouldn't be an issue, but it's something to be aware of. Also remember you can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks in Washington state.

i think it maxes out around $800 something per week but im not sure about the exact formula they use. when i filed my claim last year i was making way less than you and got like $320 per week so youll probably get more than that

Don't forget you have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits! A lot of people get surprised by that at tax time. You can have them withhold 10% federal tax from each payment or you can pay it all at once when you file your taxes. Washington state doesn't have income tax so no state taxes to worry about.

The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator tool but it never worked properly for me. Just kept giving error messages. Ended up having to wait until my claim was processed to see what my actual benefit amount would be. Super frustrating when you're trying to budget and plan ahead.

Just remember you have to file your weekly claims every week to keep getting paid, and you have to be actively searching for work. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and you have to keep a log of what you did. Missing a week of filing or not meeting the job search requirements can mess up your benefits.

I hate how complicated they make the benefit calculation. Like why can't they just give you a straight percentage of your previous salary? All this base period and highest quarter stuff is confusing as hell. And then you have to wait weeks just to find out if you even qualify.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you worked for multiple employers in your base period, Washington ESD needs wage information from all of them. Sometimes there are delays if one employer is slow to report wages or if there are discrepancies in the records. That can hold up your claim even if everything else looks good.

The benefit amount is decent but remember it's temporary. Don't get too comfortable with it because 26 weeks goes by quick and then you're back to looking for work with no safety net. Use the time to really focus on your job search and maybe learn some new skills if you can.

If your claim gets stuck in adjudication or you have questions about your benefit calculation, definitely try to get through to an actual person at Washington ESD rather than just relying on the automated system. The online portal doesn't always show the full picture of what's happening with your claim.

Also just FYI - if you receive any severance pay or vacation payout from your employer, that might affect when your benefits start or the amount you receive. Make sure to report all income accurately when you file your claim. Better to be upfront about everything than deal with overpayment issues later.

Keep in mind that your benefit amount is based on gross wages, not what you actually took home after taxes and deductions. So if you were making $52k gross but only taking home like $38k after everything, your UI benefits will be calculated off that higher gross amount.

The whole process is such a pain but hang in there. Once you get through the initial filing and any verification stuff, the weekly claims are pretty straightforward. Just answer the questions honestly and file on time every week. The money usually shows up in your account within a day or two of filing.