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Zara Ahmed

How much is unemployment benefit amount in Washington ESD 2025?

I'm trying to figure out how much unemployment I might get if I file a claim with Washington ESD. I was making about $52,000 a year at my last job before getting laid off last week. Does anyone know how they calculate the weekly benefit amount? I keep seeing different numbers online and I'm not sure what's current for 2025.

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) using your highest earning quarter from your base period. They take that quarter's earnings and divide by 26. So if your highest quarter was around $12,600, you'd get roughly $485 per week before taxes.

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That sounds about right for my earnings. Do they take taxes out automatically or do I need to request that?

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You can request 10% federal tax withholding when you file your weekly claims. State of Washington doesn't have income tax so no state withholding needed.

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Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period (first 4 of last 5 completed quarters). They take that amount and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. Maximum is $999/week for 2025. With $52k annually, you're probably looking at somewhere between $400-600 weekly depending on how your earnings were distributed.

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Thanks! So they don't just take my total yearly income and divide it? That's confusing but good to know.

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Yeah the base period thing trips everyone up. I thought it was just annual salary too until I filed my claim.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) using your highest earning quarter from your base year, which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. They take that quarter's earnings, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385. The minimum WBA is $295 and maximum is $999 for 2025.

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Thanks! So if I made around $6,500 in my highest quarter, that would be about $250 per week? That seems low compared to what I was making.

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Actually that calculation would be $6,500 ÷ 26 × 0.0385 = about $9.62, but there's a minimum of $295/week so you'd get $295. The formula can seem confusing at first.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. Generally it's around 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but capped at the maximum weekly benefit amount which is $999 for 2025. With your income you should get a decent amount.

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Thanks! So if I made like $15,000 in my best quarter that would be around $577 a week? That seems higher than I expected.

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That sounds about right, but remember they also look at your total base period earnings to make sure you qualify. You need at least $7,000 total in your base period.

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Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 but most people get way less than that. They take your highest earning quarter, divide by 26, then that's roughly your weekly amount.

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So if I made like $14,000 in my best quarter that would be around $538 per week?

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Yeah that sounds about right, but Washington ESD also has a minimum benefit amount too which is currently $295 per week.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. The weekly benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's a maximum cap of $999 per week in 2025. With your income level, you'd probably hit or get close to the maximum.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter from your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $342. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly amount.

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Thanks! So if I made around $11,500 in my highest quarter, that would be about $442 weekly?

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That sounds about right. Just remember you'll need to meet the job search requirements too - 3 job contacts per week minimum.

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I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for two weeks to ask about my benefit calculation and can't reach anyone. Their phone system is impossible.

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I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

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Really? That actually works? I'm desperate at this point, spending hours on hold every day.

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Yeah it worked for me last month. Way better than sitting on hold for 3 hours just to get disconnected.

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The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington for 2025 is $999 per week. Most people don't hit the max though, it depends on your work history and earnings.

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Wow $999 is pretty good compared to other states. My friend in Florida only gets like $275 max.

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Yeah Washington ESD has one of the higher maximum benefit amounts in the country. Plus we get up to 26 weeks of regular UI benefits.

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The Washington ESD benefit calculator on their website is pretty accurate if you have your pay stubs handy. I used it before filing and it was within $20 of what I actually got approved for.

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I tried finding that calculator but couldn't locate it on the Washington ESD site. Do you have a direct link?

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It's buried in their resources section somewhere. Honestly their website is a mess to navigate.

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Thanks! So if I made around $13,000 in my highest quarter, I'd get close to $500 per week?

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest quarter earnings from your base year. The formula is roughly 3.85% of your average quarterly wages. For 2025 the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $295. With your salary you'd probably get somewhere around $380-420 per week before taxes.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's a minimum of $295 and maximum of $999 per week for 2025.

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That's really helpful! So if my highest quarter was around $16,000, I'd get about $616 per week?

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Yeah that sounds about right. You can use the Washington ESD benefit calculator on their website to get an exact estimate before you file.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). They take that amount and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999, but most people don't hit that unless they were making really good money.

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Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $15,000, that would be about $577 per week?

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That sounds about right. You can also use the benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website to get a more precise estimate.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings in your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. They take your highest earning quarter and divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385. The minimum is $295/week and maximum is $999/week for 2025.

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Thanks! So it's based on quarterly earnings not just my most recent pay? That's confusing.

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Yeah the base period thing trips everyone up. I thought it would be based on my last few paychecks but it goes way back.

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You can actually get a pretty good estimate by looking at your highest earning quarter from last year. Take that number and divide by 26. That should be close to your weekly amount, assuming you qualify.

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My highest quarter was probably around $14,500 so that would put me at about $557 weekly. Does that sound right?

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That math looks correct! You'd also be eligible for up to 26 weeks of benefits typically.

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I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation but their phone lines are always busy. Anyone have luck actually talking to someone there?

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I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents automatically. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

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That sounds too good to be true. How does it actually work?

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It basically calls Washington ESD repeatedly until it gets through, then connects you to an agent. Way better than sitting there redialing all day.

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Thanks! That's actually higher than I expected. Do they take taxes out automatically or do I need to request that?

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I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation but their phone lines are always busy. Anyone have luck getting through recently?

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I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com. They basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an actual agent. Saved me hours of calling. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

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That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

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It's worth it just to avoid the endless busy signals and hold music. Way better than spending all day hitting redial.

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Your weekly benefit calculation also depends on when you worked. Washington ESD uses a base period which is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed your claim.

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So if I filed in January 2025, what quarters would they look at?

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For January 2025 filing, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. They'd look at your earnings in each of those four quarters.

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Wait I thought they used the most recent quarters? This is confusing.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings during your base period, which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999 per week, but most people don't get the max. Your benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of your total wages during the base period, divided by 52 weeks.

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Thanks! So if I made $52k last year, that would be around $385 per week? That's actually not too bad.

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That sounds about right, but it also depends on when exactly you worked and how your wages were distributed across the quarters. You can get an estimate by logging into your SecureAccess Washington account.

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Washington ESD uses your earnings from the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed your claim. They take your highest earning quarter and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. So if you made around $58,000 in your highest quarter you'd get the max.

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That's helpful, thanks! So they look at quarters not just my current hourly wage? I think my highest quarter was probably around $15,000 so that would be like $577 per week if I'm doing the math right.

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Exactly right! And remember you also have to meet the minimum earnings requirement of at least $7,000 in your base period to qualify for benefits at all.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. Generally it's about 3.85% of your total wages in that quarter. The maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is around $999 per week, but most people get way less than that.

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Thanks! So if I made around $14,000 in my highest quarter, that would be about $539 per week? That seems pretty good actually.

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Yeah that sounds about right, maybe a little less after they do the exact calculation. Just remember you have to file weekly claims and do job searches to keep getting paid.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from the past year. They take that amount, divide by 26, then you get roughly half of that as your weekly benefit. The maximum weekly benefit in Washington is currently $999 per week for 2025.

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Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $14,000, I'd get about $270 per week?

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That sounds about right. The exact calculation is a bit more complex but that's close to what you'd expect.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from your base period. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then multiply by about 0.0385 to get your weekly amount.

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So if I made $13,000 in my highest quarter, that would be $13,000 ÷ 26 = $500, then $500 × 0.0385 = about $19? That seems really low.

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No, you're mixing up the formula. It's more like 3.85% of your total base period wages divided by 52 weeks, but there's a minimum weekly amount too. You'd probably get closer to $400-500 weekly with your salary.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. They take that quarter's earnings, divide by 13, then you get about 50% of that as your weekly benefit amount. Maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week.

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Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $15,000, I'd get roughly $575 per week? That would really help with my mortgage payments.

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Yeah that sounds about right. Just remember you have to file your weekly claims every week and do job searches to keep getting paid.

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Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings in your base period to calculate benefits. Maximum weekly benefit is $999 for 2025. They take your highest quarter wages, divide by 26, then that's roughly your weekly amount. With your income you'd probably qualify for close to the max.

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That's way more than I expected actually. So if I made like $13,000 in my best quarter that would be around $500 weekly?

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Yeah that sounds about right. The exact formula is on the Washington ESD website but your math is close.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then that's roughly your weekly amount. So if you made $13,000 in your best quarter, you'd get about $500/week.

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Thanks! So it's not based on my annual salary but just the highest quarter? That makes more sense.

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yeah but you also have to have worked enough quarters to qualify, can't just work one good quarter and get benefits

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i think its different for everyone depending on what you made. when i filed last year i was getting like $400 something per week but my friend got way more cause she made more money at her job

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The base period is what matters most - it's usually the first 4 quarters of the last 5 completed quarters before you file your claim.

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oh ok that makes sense why mine was lower then cause i had some part time months mixed in

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i think theres also a minimum amount too, like $295 or something? not sure tho

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Yes, the minimum weekly benefit amount in Washington is $295. If your calculation comes out lower than that, you'd still get the minimum.

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ok cool thanks for confirming

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The formula is actually a bit more complicated than that. Washington ESD looks at your base period which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. They need your total wages to be at least $3,850 in your base period AND you need at least $2,541 in your highest quarter.

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This is getting confusing. Is there like a calculator somewhere?

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Washington ESD has a benefit calculator on their website but it's pretty basic. The exact amount depends on your specific wage history.

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I tried calling Washington ESD to ask about my benefit amount but could never get through. The phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected after waiting forever.

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Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They take your highest quarter, divide by 26, then you get about 60-65% of that amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 should be around $999 per week, but that's only if you were making really good money.

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Thanks! So if I made $12,600 in my highest quarter, that would be about $484 divided by 26 weeks, then 60% of that? Trying to do the math here.

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Actually it's a bit different - they divide your highest quarter by 26 first, so $12,600 ÷ 26 = about $485. That would likely be close to your weekly benefit amount, maybe slightly less.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) using your highest earning quarter from your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $295. Your actual amount depends on your wages - it's roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages divided by 52 weeks, but there's a complex formula they use.

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Thanks! So with my salary I should be getting close to the maximum then? That would really help with my mortgage payments.

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Not necessarily - they look at your quarterly wages not annual salary. If your pay was consistent you might get around $700-800 weekly but it varies.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They take that quarter's earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $929 per week. So if you made good money, you might hit that cap.

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Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $12,600, that would be about $485 per week? That's way less than I was hoping for.

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That sounds about right. Remember you also have to meet the minimum earnings requirement in your base period, but sounds like you'll qualify easily.

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Washington ESD uses your base period earnings to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They look at your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26, then take 60% of that. The current maximum weekly benefit is $1,015 as of 2025. Your gross monthly of $4,200 should put you near or at the max depending on your quarterly distribution.

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Thanks! So if I made $12,600 in my highest quarter that would be $484 divided by 26 = $290 per week? That seems low for what I was making.

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No, you calculate it differently. Take your highest quarter ($12,600) divide by 26 weeks = $484, then multiply by 0.6 = about $290. But you also need to meet the minimum earnings test across all quarters in your base period.

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I've been getting $467 a week from Washington ESD since November. Had to jump through hoops to get my claim processed though - took forever to get through to someone on the phone.

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How long did it take you to actually talk to someone? I've been trying to call for days and keep getting hung up on.

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Literally spent hours calling. Finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in like 20 minutes. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

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Mei Lin

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yeah the Washington ESD calculation is weird, I got $425/week when I was laid off last year but it took forever to get through to them to find out why

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How long did it take you to reach someone at Washington ESD? I've been trying to call for days and keep getting the busy signal or getting hung up on after waiting.

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Mei Lin

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I probably called like 50 times over 2 weeks before I got through. The hold times are insane.

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Don't forget you'll also get the additional $25 per week if you have dependents. And make sure you understand the job search requirements - you need to make 3 job contacts per week to keep getting benefits.

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Good point about the dependents! I have two kids so that extra $50 per week would help.

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Wait I thought it was just $25 total for dependents, not per dependent?

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You're right, it's $25 total regardless of how many dependents you have. My mistake!

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