How much does unemployment pay in Washington state right now?

Thanks! Do you know how I can find out what my base year wages were? I don't have all my old pay stubs.

When you file your initial claim on the Washington ESD website, they'll show you your wage history automatically. It pulls from employer reports so you don't need your pay stubs.

It's actually more complex than that. Washington uses your highest quarter wages divided by 26, then applies a percentage based on your total base year earnings. The formula can result in anywhere from about $295 minimum to $999 maximum per week.

oh wow thats way more complicated than i thought lol

That would actually help a lot with my bills. How long did it take to get your first payment after filing?

Took about 3 weeks for me, but I had a simple case with no issues. If your claim goes into adjudication for any reason, it can take much longer.

Wait what? There's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD? How does that even work?

From what I understand, they handle the calling process and wait on hold for you, then connect you when an agent becomes available. Seems legit but I haven't tried it yet.

I actually used Claimyr a few weeks ago when I couldn't get through about my adjudication issue. It really works - saved me hours of trying to call myself. Worth checking out if you're stuck.

I don't have kids but that's good to know for others reading this.

Yeah the dependent allowance is like $25 per child I think, up to 5 kids maximum.

Good point, I hadn't thought about taxes. Is it better to have them withheld or pay later?

Personally I always have them withhold 10% so I don't get hit with a big tax bill. But it's up to you.

True, but it's meant to be temporary assistance while you look for work, not a permanent replacement for your salary.

yeah i know but still sucks when you go from 4k a month to like 2.5k

This is super helpful! So it's not just a flat percentage of your salary.

Exactly. It's designed to replace a higher percentage of wages for lower earners and a lower percentage for higher earners, but with that $999 maximum cap.

How many jobs do you have to apply for each week?

It's typically 3 job search activities per week, but activities can include more than just applications - networking, attending job fairs, etc.

Make sure you keep good records of your job search activities. Washington ESD can audit your work search log at any time.

6 weeks in adjudication is rough. Definitely worth trying Claimyr if regular calling isn't working. I had good luck with them when I had an overpayment issue to resolve.

Thanks, I'll check out that video demo they mentioned and see if it's worth it.

Yeah we're lucky here. My cousin in Florida only gets like $275 a week maximum there.

Wow that's a huge difference. Makes me feel better about filing here in Washington.

What kind of things cause claims to get flagged?

Lots of things - if you quit vs were laid off, if there are questions about your availability for work, wage discrepancies, stuff like that. Most people don't have issues though.

So even if everything goes smoothly, I wouldn't see money for like 3-4 weeks total?

Pretty much, yeah. That's if there are no complications. Plan accordingly for your budget.

Good to know! What's the limit before they start reducing benefits?

I think you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before they start deducting. So if your benefit is $700, you could earn up to $695 and still get some unemployment.

You're right, I should just go ahead and file instead of trying to calculate everything first. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info!