How much is unemployment benefit amount in Washington right now 2025?
I'm about to file for unemployment for the first time and trying to figure out what I can expect to receive. I was making about $65,000 a year at my last job before getting laid off last week. Does anyone know what the current weekly benefit amounts are in Washington? I've been looking at the Washington ESD website but it's confusing with all the calculations. Just want to know roughly what I should expect so I can budget accordingly.
48 comments
Join the conversation
Xan Dae
The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington for 2025 is $999 per week. Your actual amount depends on your earnings in your base year (the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed). Washington ESD calculates it as roughly 3.85% of your total base year wages, divided by 52 weeks. With your salary, you'll probably get close to the maximum.
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•Thanks! That's higher than I expected. Do I need to provide pay stubs or will they get my wage info automatically?
0 coins
Xan Dae
•Washington ESD gets your wage info from employers automatically through their quarterly reports. You might need pay stubs if there are discrepancies or missing quarters though.
0 coins
Fiona Gallagher
just got approved last month and im getting $847/week. made about 58k last year so sounds like you should get more than me with your salary
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•That gives me a good reference point, thanks! How long did it take for your claim to get approved?
0 coins
Fiona Gallagher
•took about 2 weeks but i had no issues. some people wait longer if theres adjudication
0 coins
Thais Soares
I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for weeks to check on my benefit calculation because I think it's wrong. The phone lines are impossible - I've called hundreds of times and either get busy signals or get disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?
0 coins
Nalani Liu
•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. I was skeptical at first but watched their demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and decided to try it. Got through to someone the same day and got my benefit amount corrected within a week.
0 coins
Thais Soares
•Really? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?
0 coins
Nalani Liu
•They focus on the value of actually reaching an agent rather than the cost. For me it was worth it because I was losing money every week my claim wasn't fixed properly.
0 coins
Axel Bourke
The benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website is pretty accurate if you have your wage info. But remember you also have to meet the weekly job search requirements to keep getting benefits. That's 3 job search activities per week that you have to log in your WorkSourceWA account.
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•Good to know about the job search requirements. Do I need to set up WorkSourceWA before I file my claim?
0 coins
Axel Bourke
•You should set it up within your first week of filing. Washington ESD will send you information about it after you file your initial claim.
0 coins
Aidan Percy
•Actually, I think you need to register with WorkSourceWA within 4 weeks of filing, not the first week. But definitely don't wait too long.
0 coins
Fernanda Marquez
Wait, I thought the max was like $800 something? When did it go up to $999?
0 coins
Xan Dae
•Washington adjusts the maximum benefit amount annually. It went up to $999 for 2025. You can find the current amounts on the Washington ESD website under benefit information.
0 coins
Fernanda Marquez
•Damn, wish I'd gotten laid off this year instead of last year lol
0 coins
Norman Fraser
Just a heads up - even though the max is $999, most people don't actually get that amount. You need to have earned over $100,000 in your base year to qualify for the maximum. The average unemployment benefit in Washington is probably closer to $600-700 per week.
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•That makes sense. I'm probably somewhere in the middle then based on my salary.
0 coins
Kendrick Webb
•Yeah I make 45k and get $520/week so that tracks
0 coins
Hattie Carson
Don't forget you'll owe taxes on unemployment benefits! Washington doesn't tax them but the feds do. You can have taxes withheld or pay quarterly estimated taxes.
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•Oh right, I forgot about that. Can I elect to have taxes taken out when I file my weekly claims?
0 coins
Hattie Carson
•Yes, you can choose to have 10% federal tax withheld when you file your weekly claims. There's an option for it in the online system.
0 coins
Destiny Bryant
THE WASHINGTON ESD SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I've been waiting 6 weeks for my claim to be processed and they keep saying it's in adjudication. Meanwhile bills are piling up and I can't get anyone on the phone to explain what's taking so long. This is ridiculous!!!
0 coins
Nalani Liu
•I mentioned this earlier but seriously check out Claimyr. That's exactly the kind of situation where getting through to an actual Washington ESD agent makes all the difference. They can tell you exactly what's holding up your claim and sometimes resolve it right on the call.
0 coins
Destiny Bryant
•At this point I'm willing to try anything. The stress is killing me.
0 coins
Dyllan Nantx
•Adjudication can take a while, especially if there are questions about your separation from work. Hang in there, it will get resolved eventually.
0 coins
TillyCombatwarrior
For anyone wondering about the calculation, it's based on your highest earning quarter in your base year, then they take about 60% of that and divide by 13 weeks. That gives you your weekly benefit amount, up to the maximum.
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•That's a helpful way to think about it. I should be able to estimate it pretty closely then.
0 coins
Anna Xian
•Actually I think the calculation is a bit more complex than that but close enough for estimation purposes
0 coins
Jungleboo Soletrain
i filed 3 months ago and still haven't gotten a single payment. every time i call they say its still being reviewed. this is insane
0 coins
Rajan Walker
•3 months?! That's way too long. Have you tried contacting your state representative's office? Sometimes they can help push things along with Washington ESD.
0 coins
Jungleboo Soletrain
•didn't think of that. ill give it a try
0 coins
Nadia Zaldivar
Remember that if you do any part-time work while collecting unemployment, you need to report it on your weekly claim. Washington has a partial benefit program where you can still get some unemployment if you're working reduced hours.
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•Good to know. What's the threshold for how much you can earn before it affects your benefits?
0 coins
Nadia Zaldivar
•You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before it starts reducing your benefits. So if your weekly benefit is $500, you can earn up to $495 and still get your full benefit.
0 coins
Lukas Fitzgerald
Just want to mention that your benefit amount stays the same for your entire benefit year (52 weeks) even if you get a different job and then become unemployed again during that year. The amount is locked in based on when you first filed.
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•That's important to know. So I should make sure my initial filing is accurate.
0 coins
Ev Luca
•Exactly. Make sure all your employer information is correct when you file your initial claim.
0 coins
Avery Davis
The whole system would be so much easier if you could just talk to someone when you have questions instead of trying to navigate the website and automated systems. I spent hours trying to figure out why my benefit amount seemed low compared to what the calculator said I should get.
0 coins
Nalani Liu
•That's exactly why services like Claimyr exist. Sometimes you just need to talk to a human being who can look at your specific situation and explain what's going on.
0 coins
Avery Davis
•I might have to look into that if I can't figure this out soon.
0 coins
Collins Angel
One thing I learned is that if you think your benefit amount is wrong, you can appeal it. You have to do it within 30 days of when you first got your monetary determination letter though.
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•Good tip. I'll make sure to review everything carefully when I get my determination.
0 coins
Marcelle Drum
•Appeals can take months to process though, so make sure you're really confident it's wrong before going that route.
0 coins
Tate Jensen
thanks for asking this question OP, i was wondering the same thing. sounds like with the new higher maximum amounts, filing now might actually cover most of my expenses
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•Yeah, I'm feeling more optimistic about it now too. Still stressful to be unemployed but at least the benefits seem reasonable.
0 coins
Adaline Wong
•Just remember it's temporary - keep applying for jobs even though the benefits are decent. The job search requirements will keep you accountable anyway.
0 coins