How much does unemployment pay you in Washington state?

Washington ESD bases your weekly benefit amount on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. They take that quarter, divide by 13, then you get roughly 60-70% of that weekly amount. So if you made $11,440 in your highest quarter, you'd get around $525 per week maximum.

just filed last month and getting $487 a week, was making about $20/hr before. not bad considering i was worried about paying rent

I had a terrible time trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask about my benefit calculation. Spent hours on the phone getting disconnected. Finally used Claimyr.com and got connected to an agent in like 10 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. The agent was able to explain my whole benefit calculation clearly.

The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington is $999 per week in 2025. But most people don't get the max unless they were making really good money. Your benefit amount depends on your wages from the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed.

WASHINGTON ESD TAKES FOREVER TO PROCESS CLAIMS!! I've been waiting 6 weeks for my first payment and they keep saying it's in adjudication. Meanwhile I'm behind on everything. This system is BROKEN.

I think there's also a minimum weekly benefit amount. I remember reading it was like $295 or something? Not sure if that's still current though.

Don't forget you can also get the additional $25 per week if you have dependents. It's not much but every little bit helps when you're unemployed.

been on unemployment twice, first time got $445/week, second time got $523/week because my wages were higher. the calculation is weird but basically they look at your best earning quarter and base it on that

The benefit calculator on Washington ESD's website is pretty helpful if you want to estimate your weekly amount before filing. You need your quarterly wage information though.

Just a heads up - you have to be able and available for work to keep getting benefits. That means actively looking for jobs and reporting your job search activities every week.

I was making $25/hour and my weekly benefit is $578. Been getting it for 8 weeks now. The key is filing your weekly claims every week even if you're still waiting for approval.

Does anyone know if Washington state unemployment benefits are different from federal unemployment? I'm so confused about all this.

I've been trying to get clarification on my benefit amount for weeks. Washington ESD's phone system is absolutely terrible. Finally heard about Claimyr from a friend and they got me connected to an agent who explained everything clearly. Definitely worth it if you're stuck.

One thing to remember is that you can work part-time and still collect some unemployment benefits. They reduce your weekly benefit by a portion of what you earn, but you might still get something.

The whole system is so confusing. I wish Washington ESD would just send you a letter explaining exactly how much you'll get and why. Instead you have to figure it out yourself or spend hours trying to call them.

remember you can only collect benefits for 26 weeks maximum in washington state. so if you're getting $500/week, that's $13,000 total for the whole benefit year

I was worried about the same thing when I filed. Turns out I qualified for $612 per week which was way more than I thought. The application process was actually pretty straightforward once I understood what information they needed.

Pro tip: if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD about your benefit calculation or any other questions, I had success with Claimyr. They connected me right to an agent who could see my account and walk through the math with me. Made the whole process way less stressful.