How much get unemployment benefits in Washington ESD 2025?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from the base period. They take that quarter's wages, divide by 26, then you get about 60% of that amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. So if you made $45k last year, depending on how your wages were distributed across quarters, you're probably looking at somewhere between $400-600 per week.

the calculation is confusing but basically take your best quarter wages and divide by 26 weeks then multiply by 0.6 or something like that. i think the minimum is around $295 and max is $999 for this year

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for two weeks to ask about my benefit amount calculation because something seems off on my claim. The phone lines are always busy and I keep getting disconnected. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?

The Washington ESD benefit calculator is based on your base period which is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. If you made $45k evenly throughout the year, your highest quarter would be around $11,250, so your weekly benefit would be about $432 ($11,250 ÷ 26 weeks).

WASHINGTON ESD IS SO SLOW WITH EVERYTHING! I filed 6 weeks ago and still don't know my exact benefit amount because my claim is stuck in adjudication. They send these vague letters that don't explain anything clearly. The whole system is broken.

For anyone still confused about the calculation, here's the simple version: Washington ESD looks at your wages from the last 18 months, finds your highest earning quarter, divides that by 26. That's your weekly benefit amount (up to the $999 maximum for 2025). You can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks in most cases.

Update: I was able to check my wage history and my highest quarter was Q4 2024 with about $13,200 thanks to holiday overtime. So my weekly benefit should be around $507. Thanks everyone for explaining how this works!

I'm dealing with a similar situation but my claim got denied initially. Apparently I didn't earn enough in my base period even though I worked most of the year. Has anyone successfully appealed a monetary determination?

The amount you get also depends on whether you have any deductions. If you owe child support or have an overpayment from a previous claim, they'll deduct that from your weekly benefits. Just something to keep in mind when calculating what you'll actually receive.

been on unemployment twice in the past 5 years and the benefit amount calculation never makes sense to me even after they explain it. seems like they just pick a random number sometimes lol

For what it's worth, Washington state has one of the higher maximum weekly benefit amounts compared to other states. $999 per week is pretty generous, though obviously most people don't hit that maximum.

Just want to mention that if you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to ask questions about your benefit amount, I've had good luck with Claimyr recently. It's a service that helps you get connected to actual agents instead of sitting on hold forever. Really saved me time when I needed to resolve a payment issue.

Don't forget you'll also need to pay taxes on your unemployment benefits. It's not automatically withheld unless you request it, so plan accordingly.

The timing of when you file can also affect which base period they use. If you file right at the beginning of a quarter vs the end, it might change which quarters they look at for your wage calculation.

My sister got laid off around the same time and her weekly benefit came out to $445 on a similar salary. The calculation seemed consistent with what everyone's explaining here. Just depends on how your wages were distributed throughout the year.

One thing I learned is that your weekly benefit amount stays the same throughout your claim period. It doesn't change based on your job search activities or anything like that. The amount is locked in when your claim is established.

I was worried about the same thing when I got laid off last year. Turns out Washington ESD has a pretty straightforward benefit calculator if you know your quarterly wages. The hardest part is just getting all the wage information organized when you first apply.

For anyone else reading this thread, remember that if you disagree with your monetary determination, you can always request a redetermination or file an appeal. Don't just accept it if something looks wrong with your wage history or benefit calculation.

Thanks for all the helpful info everyone! This thread has been way more useful than the Washington ESD website for understanding how benefit amounts work. Glad I found this community.

Final tip: make sure you keep copies of all your pay stubs and employment records. Even if Washington ESD has the wage information, it's good to have your own documentation in case there are any discrepancies or questions later.