How much does unemployment pay in Washington state 2025 - confused about benefit amounts

What exactly is a base year? Is that the last 12 months I worked?

No, the base year is actually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in 2025, your base year might be from 2023-2024 depending on when you file.

That's still better than nothing though. Did you have trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check your benefit amount?

OMG yes, calling them is impossible. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person in like 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

I want to know beforehand so I can budget properly. Filing without knowing seems risky.

I tried that calculator and it seemed way off from what I actually got approved for. Not sure how accurate it really is.

The calculator is just an estimate. Your actual benefit amount depends on Washington ESD's full review of your work history and wages reported by your employers.

Where exactly is this calculator on their website? I looked but couldn't find it.

It's actually more complicated than that. You need either $3,000 in your highest quarter OR at least $1,000 in your highest quarter AND total base year earnings of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter amount.

See this is why the system is so confusing. Too many different rules and requirements.

Wait, so even if I qualify, I might not get benefits for the full 26 weeks?

Right, it depends on how much you earned in your base year. If your total base year earnings are low, you might only qualify for 10-15 weeks of benefits.

This is why I hate the unemployment system. It should be simple - X% of your last job's wages. Instead it's this complicated formula that nobody understands.

The base year thing is supposed to give you a more stable calculation, but yeah it's confusing as hell.

How do you figure out if waiting would help? This seems really complicated to calculate.

You'd need to compare your earnings in different quarter combinations. Honestly, it's probably easier to just call Washington ESD and ask them to explain your specific situation.

Good luck getting through to them on the phone though. Like I said earlier, Claimyr was the only way I could actually talk to someone at Washington ESD without spending my whole day on hold.

Yeah I learned this the hard way. Picked up a few shifts at my old job and ended up losing benefits for those weeks.

You can usually earn up to about 25% of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction, then it starts getting deducted.

Wait, they tax unemployment benefits? That seems wrong when you're already struggling financially.

Yep, it's considered income by the IRS. Washington state doesn't have income tax so you only pay federal, but it's still a chunk of money.

This is so true. I almost didn't apply because I thought my part-time job meant I wouldn't qualify.

Exactly! And then when you do apply, good luck getting accurate information from Washington ESD without jumping through hoops.

I might try that if I can't figure out my benefit amount on my own. Thanks for the suggestion.

That range is helpful, thanks. At least gives me an idea of what to expect.

And remember you have to actively search for work and report your job search activities every week to keep getting benefits.

Yeah I heard about the job search requirements. How many jobs do you have to apply to each week?

In Washington, you typically need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week to maintain eligibility. This can include applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking activities, or meeting with career counselors. You'll need to log these activities in your weekly claim and be prepared to provide details if asked.