How much is Washington ESD unemployment paying in 2025?
I'm trying to figure out what my weekly benefit amount would be if I file for unemployment. I made about $52,000 last year working full time at a warehouse job. Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the weekly payments? I've heard different numbers from people and want to know what to expect before I file my claim.
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Aisha Rahman
Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. You'll get roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings as your weekly amount, but it can't exceed that max.
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QuantumQueen
•Thanks! So if I made around $13,000 in my highest quarter, that would be about $500 per week?
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Aisha Rahman
•Yeah that sounds about right. The exact formula is a bit more complex but that's close to what you'd get.
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Ethan Wilson
I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation. Their phone lines are always busy and I can never reach anyone. It's so frustrating when you need answers about your claim.
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Yuki Sato
•I had the same problem until I found claimyr.com - they help you get through to Washington ESD agents. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.
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Ethan Wilson
•Really? How does that work exactly? I'm desperate at this point.
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Yuki Sato
•They basically handle the calling process for you and connect you when an agent becomes available. No more sitting on hold for hours.
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Carmen Flores
The payments also depend on whether you're doing any part-time work. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount, you won't get any unemployment payment that week. If you earn less, they'll reduce your benefit by the amount you earned.
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QuantumQueen
•Good to know. I might pick up some gig work while I'm looking for a full-time job.
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Andre Dubois
•Just make sure you report ALL earnings on your weekly claim, even small amounts. Washington ESD will find out eventually and you could face an overpayment.
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CyberSamurai
Anyone know if the $999 max applies to everyone or just certain types of claims? I thought I heard something about different rates for different programs.
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Aisha Rahman
•The $999 is for regular unemployment insurance. Other programs like standby or SharedWork might have different calculations.
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CyberSamurai
•Ah okay, I'm just filing regular UI so that should apply to me then.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
I'm getting $847 per week right now. I was making about $65,000 annually before I got laid off. The amount seems fair based on what I was earning.
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QuantumQueen
•That's helpful to know! How long did it take for your claim to get approved?
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•About 2 weeks. No issues with my claim since it was a clear layoff situation.
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Jamal Carter
dont forget you gotta pay taxes on unemployment too... learned that the hard way last year
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Andre Dubois
•Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or pay them when you file your return.
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Jamal Carter
•wish someone told me that when i started collecting lol
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Mei Liu
The whole system is confusing. I tried calling Washington ESD multiple times to understand my benefit amount and kept getting disconnected. Finally used some service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual person who explained everything.
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QuantumQueen
•Was it worth it? I'm considering using them too since I can't get through on my own.
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Mei Liu
•Definitely saved me time and frustration. Way better than calling dozens of times and getting nowhere.
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Liam O'Donnell
Is there a minimum benefit amount too? I only worked part-time last year and I'm worried I won't qualify for much.
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Aisha Rahman
•Yes, the minimum weekly benefit amount in Washington is $295 for 2025. But you still need to meet the earnings requirements to qualify at all.
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Liam O'Donnell
•How much do you need to have earned to qualify?
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Aisha Rahman
•You need at least $4,290 in your base period and earnings in at least two quarters of your base period.
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Amara Nwosu
MY CLAIM HAS BEEN PENDING FOR 6 WEEKS AND I STILL DONT KNOW WHAT MY BENEFIT AMOUNT WILL BE!!! This system is broken and nobody at Washington ESD seems to care about helping people.
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Carmen Flores
•That's way too long. Have you tried reaching out through their online messaging system or calling early in the morning?
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Amara Nwosu
•tried everything... maybe i should try that claimyr thing people mentioned
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AstroExplorer
I remember when unemployment was only paying like $600 max. The increases over the years have helped but it's still not enough to cover most people's full expenses.
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QuantumQueen
•True, but it's better than nothing while job searching.
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AstroExplorer
•Absolutely, just saying it's tough to make ends meet even with the current rates.
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Giovanni Moretti
Quick question - do they round up or down on the benefit calculations? My math comes out to like $723.45 per week.
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Aisha Rahman
•They round down to the nearest dollar, so you'd get $723 per week.
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Giovanni Moretti
•Thanks for clarifying that!
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Fatima Al-Farsi
For anyone still having trouble reaching Washington ESD about benefit calculations, I used Claimyr recently and it worked great. Much easier than trying to call on your own.
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QuantumQueen
•I keep hearing about this service. Might be worth trying since I need to talk to someone about my specific situation.
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Dylan Cooper
•Same here, the regular phone system is basically useless.
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Sofia Perez
Does the benefit amount change during your claim period or does it stay the same throughout?
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Aisha Rahman
•It stays the same for the duration of your benefit year unless there's an error correction or you have a new claim.
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Sofia Perez
•Good to know for budgeting purposes.
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Dmitry Smirnov
just got approved last week and my amount matches what the online calculator estimated pretty closely. took about 3 weeks total from filing to first payment
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QuantumQueen
•That's encouraging! I haven't filed yet but good to know the timeline.
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Dmitry Smirnov
•yeah just make sure all your info is accurate when you file, saves time later
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ElectricDreamer
The benefit amount also affects how long you can collect. Higher earners might get more per week but everyone gets the same number of weeks typically.
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QuantumQueen
•How many weeks is that usually?
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ElectricDreamer
•Standard is 26 weeks in Washington, but it can vary based on unemployment rates.
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Aisha Rahman
•Currently it's 26 weeks for most people. Extended benefits might kick in if unemployment gets really high statewide.
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Ava Johnson
Thanks everyone for the info! This gives me a much better idea of what to expect. Sounds like I should be able to get around $500-600 per week based on my earnings history.
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Aisha Rahman
•That sounds about right for your income level. Good luck with your claim!
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Carmen Flores
•Make sure to file as soon as possible after you become unemployed. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file.
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Ava Johnson
•Will do! Planning to file tomorrow morning.
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