How much do you get weekly for unemployment from Washington ESD - confused about benefit amounts

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your base period wages, which is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed. They take your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $295. So if you made around $18/hour for 35-38 hours weekly, you're probably looking at somewhere between $400-600 per week depending on your exact earnings.

The calculation can be tricky because Washington ESD looks at your base period quarters, not just your most recent pay. If you had any gaps in employment or reduced hours during that base period, it could affect your benefit amount. You can actually get an estimate by logging into your SecureAccess Washington account and looking at your wage history. The system will show you exactly which quarters they're using for your calculation.

Just went through this process myself and it was a nightmare trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask about my benefit calculation. Spent literally hours on hold over multiple days. Finally discovered this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual person at Washington ESD. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. Got my questions answered in one day instead of weeks of calling.

be prepared for it to take forever to get approved tho... my claim sat in adjudication for like 6 weeks even though everything was straightforward

The whole system is a joke honestly. They make it so complicated and confusing on purpose. I filed my claim three months ago and STILL haven't received a single payment because they keep asking for more documentation. Every time I submit something they want something else. It's like they don't want to pay anyone.

Your benefit amount also depends on whether you qualify for the maximum 26 weeks or if you have any disqualifying issues. If you quit your job voluntarily or were fired for misconduct, that could affect both your eligibility and benefit amount. Make sure you understand the reason for separation before filing.

Don't forget about the job search requirements too. You have to apply for at least 3 jobs per week and log them in WorkSourceWA. If you don't keep up with that, they can disqualify you even if you're eligible for benefits.

Quick question - do you get paid for the waiting week anymore? I remember there used to be a waiting week where you don't get paid for the first week you claim.

Make sure you file your weekly claims every week even if your initial claim is still being processed. If you miss filing a weekly claim, you could lose benefits for that week and they don't always let you make it up later.

I'm in a similar situation and called Washington ESD yesterday using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got through to a representative in about 45 minutes instead of the usual hours of busy signals. They were able to give me an exact calculation of my benefit amount based on my wage history. Definitely worth the cost if you need answers quickly.

One thing to keep in mind is that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or pay them when you file your return. I learned this the hard way and owed a bunch of money at tax time.

The benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website is pretty accurate if you have all your wage information. It'll give you a good estimate before you file your actual claim.

Just wanted to add that if you worked multiple jobs during your base period, Washington ESD will combine all the wages to calculate your benefit amount. So if you had a second part-time job, those wages count too.

Be prepared for your first payment to take 2-3 weeks after you file, even if everything goes smoothly. The system is just slow. Don't panic if you don't see money right away.

If you're unsure about anything during the application process, it's better to call and ask than to guess. Wrong information can delay your claim or cause overpayment issues later. That Claimyr service people mentioned seems like a good option if you can't get through on your own.