How much for unemployment benefits - Washington ESD weekly amounts explained

So if I made about $12,000 in my best quarter, I'd get around $460 per week? That would actually help a lot with my bills.

That sounds about right, but Washington ESD will calculate the exact amount when you file your claim. Make sure you have your pay stubs or tax info ready.

Actually the minimum WBA in Washington is $332 as of 2025, not $295. And yes, regular UI is 26 weeks max unless the state extends it during high unemployment periods.

Thanks for the correction! I was thinking of the old numbers.

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They actually get you connected to Washington ESD agents without the endless hold times. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate at this point. How does it work exactly?

It's legit - they handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when an agent picks up. Way better than sitting on hold for hours just to get hung up on.

I don't have kids but that's good to know for other people. Does having a spouse affect the amount at all?

No, just dependent children under 18. Spouse income doesn't reduce your UI benefits in Washington.

Wait I thought it was 2 job contacts per week? When did it change to 3?

It's been 3 for a while now. You log them in WorkSourceWA and they can audit your job search anytime.

Good to know about the job search thing. I better start looking right away then.

Yeah I learned this the hard way last year. Had to pay back like $800 in taxes because I didn't have anything withheld.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll definitely have them withhold taxes if I can.

Yeah I've only worked in Washington for the past few years so that shouldn't be an issue.

Did you check your monetary determination letter? It should break down exactly how they calculated your WBA based on your base year earnings.

I got some letter but it was full of numbers and percentages that made no sense to me.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr to talk to an agent. They were able to walk me through my monetary determination and explain why my benefit amount was what it was. Much clearer than trying to figure it out from the letters.

How would I know if it's wrong? I've never done this before.

Compare the wages they list on your determination letter with your actual earnings from pay stubs or W2s. Sometimes employers don't report wages correctly.

That's actually more than I was expecting to see. Gives me hope that the amount might be decent.

Yeah higher earners definitely get more but even at minimum wage jobs you should get something decent. Better than nothing for sure.

I tried looking for that but their website is so confusing. Couldn't find any calculator.

I think they removed the calculator tool. Now you just have to file and wait to see what they give you.

How long did it take for you to get your first payment?

About 3 weeks after filing, but that was during a busy period. Might be faster now.

I just got approved last week and still waiting for payment. It's been 10 days since approval.

Definitely planning to start job hunting right away. This is just to help with bills while I find something new.

Smart approach. Unemployment is meant to be temporary help, not long-term income.

The whole system needs to be modernized. So many steps that could be automated or simplified.

At least now I have a better idea of what to expect. Thanks everyone for all the info!

I'm going to look into this Claimyr thing. Getting through to ESD has been impossible for me.

Yeah I might need to use that too if I have issues with my claim. Thanks for mentioning it.