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Summer Green

How much is unemployment benefit amount in Washington state?

I'm about to file for unemployment and trying to figure out my budget. Does anyone know how much unemployment pays in Washington? I was making about $4,200 a month at my last job before I got laid off. I've heard it's a percentage of your wages but I'm not sure what the exact calculation is or what the maximum weekly benefit amount is right now.

Washington ESD uses your earnings from the past 5 quarters to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They take your highest earning quarter and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999, but most people get much less than that. You can estimate yours by looking at your highest quarter earnings on your paystub records.

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Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $9,000, I'd get about $346 per week? That's actually more than I expected.

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That sounds about right, but Washington ESD will give you the exact amount when you file your initial claim. The calculation can be tricky with different pay periods.

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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, but most people don't get the max. They take your highest quarter wages, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly amount. So if you made $15,000 in your highest quarter, you'd get about $222 per week.

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That's helpful! So they look at just one quarter, not your average over the whole year?

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Exactly, just your highest earning quarter from the base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.

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The weekly benefit amount in Washington is calculated using your highest earning quarter from your base period. Maximum weekly benefit is $999 in 2025, but most people get less. It's roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages divided by 26 weeks.

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Thanks! So if I made $52k annually, what would that work out to roughly?

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Hard to say without knowing your exact quarterly earnings, but probably somewhere around $400-500 per week if your income was steady throughout the year.

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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 total wages in that quarter, but there's a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year. For 2025 I think the max is around $999 per week.

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Thanks! So they don't just look at my most recent salary? They actually go back and look at quarters from over a year ago?

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Exactly - they use a specific base period that's usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed. So if you filed in January 2025, they'd look at July 2023 through June 2024.

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Washington ESD uses your highest quarter of earnings from the past 18 months. They take that amount and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit. But there's also a minimum and maximum - I think the max is around $999 per week for 2025.

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So if I made like $12,000 in my best quarter, that would be around $460 per week? That seems pretty good actually.

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yeah but you also have to meet the base year requirements and have worked enough quarters

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Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to calculate benefits. Generally it's around 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings divided by 26 weeks, but there's a minimum of $295/week and maximum of $1015/week as of 2025. With your wages you'll probably get somewhere in the $400-500 range but it depends on how consistent your hours were.

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Thanks! That's actually better than I expected. How do I know what my base period is?

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Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file now in January 2025, it would be January 2024 through December 2024.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter from the past 18 months. They take that quarterly amount, divide by 13, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly benefit. The maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is $999 per week.

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Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $13,000, that would be about $500 per week?

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That sounds about right. You can also use the benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website to get an exact estimate before you file your claim.

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Mei Lin

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just filed last month and my weekly amount is $650. was making about 60k before i got laid off. the formula is weird but it worked out to be roughly 50% of what i was making weekly

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That's helpful to know! Did you have any issues getting through to Washington ESD when you filed?

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Mei Lin

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yeah calling them was a nightmare, kept getting busy signals for days

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just filed last month and got $428/week. was making about $22/hour before i got laid off. the amount depends on how much you made in your base period which is confusing AF

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What's the base period? Is that different from just looking at my recent paychecks?

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Base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. It's not your most recent earnings.

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i think its like 60% of your weekly wages or something like that? not sure exactly but mine was way less than i expected

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It's not 60% of weekly wages. Washington uses a different calculation based on your base period earnings. The benefit amount varies significantly based on when you worked and how much you earned each quarter.

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oh ok thanks for clarifying that makes more sense why mine was so low

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The exact formula is your highest quarter wages divided by 26, but you need to have earned at least $4,840 total in your base year and worked in at least 2 quarters. Your base year is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file.

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This is confusing - what if I just started working last year? Would I still qualify?

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If you don't have enough in your regular base year, Washington ESD can use your alternate base year which is the last 4 completed quarters. You'd still need the minimum earnings though.

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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 plus a $25 dependency allowance if you have dependents. For your salary range, you're probably looking at somewhere between $400-600 per week, but it depends on your exact earnings pattern over the last 18 months.

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That's actually higher than I expected! So they look at my best quarter, not my total annual salary?

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Exactly. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 13, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly benefit amount. The base period is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed.

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Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. Maximum weekly benefit is $999 in 2025. They take about 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, so if you made $11,250 in your best quarter, you'd get around $433 per week.

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That's helpful! How do I know what my highest quarter was? Do I need to calculate it myself or does Washington ESD tell me?

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When you file your initial claim, Washington ESD will show you your base period wages and calculate everything automatically. You'll see it all in your account.

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

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Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $12,000, that would be about $460 per week? That seems reasonable.

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Yeah that sounds about right. I got $520/week when my highest quarter was around $13,500.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from your base year. They take that amount, divide by 26, then you get about 3.85% of your average weekly wage. Maximum weekly benefit is $999 in 2025.

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Thanks! So if I made $13,000 in my highest quarter, that would be $500 per week divided by 26... wait that doesn't seem right?

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No, you divide the quarterly amount by 13 weeks first to get your average weekly wage, then multiply by 3.85%. So $13,000 ÷ 13 = $1,000 weekly wage, then $1,000 × 0.0385 = $38.50... actually let me double check that formula.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. Your base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999 per week, but most people get way less than that.

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So they look at my best quarter? That would probably be last summer when I was working overtime a lot. How do I know what my base period quarters are exactly?

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If you file today, your base period would be roughly January 2024 through December 2024. They take your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount, but there's also a minimum you have to earn in your base period to qualify.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) 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 for 2025 is $999, but most people get less than that. You can use the benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website to get an estimate.

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Thanks! I tried the calculator but I'm confused about what quarters to use. Do I count the quarter I just got laid off in?

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No, you don't count the current quarter. If you filed in January 2025, your base period would be January-December 2024. The calculator will walk you through it step by step.

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The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you're filing now in 2025, they'd look at your wages from Q1 2024 through Q4 2024.

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That makes sense. I started my current job in March 2023 so I should have enough wages in my base period.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from your base period. They take that quarter's earnings and divide by 26. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. So if you made $25,000 in your highest quarter, you'd get about $961 per week.

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Thanks! That's actually more than I expected. How do I know which quarter was my highest earning one?

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When you file your claim, Washington ESD will automatically look at your wage records and use the highest quarter. You don't have to calculate it yourself.

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i think its like 50% of your wages or something like that but theres a cap

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It's not quite 50% - Washington uses a different formula than some other states. The 3.85% calculation the previous poster mentioned is more accurate.

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oh ok i was thinking of something else then

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Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from the last 5 quarters to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999, but most people get way less than that. You take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then that's roughly your weekly amount.

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So if my highest quarter was like $4,500, I'd get around $173 per week? That seems really low for living expenses.

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Yeah that sounds about right. It's only supposed to replace part of your income, not all of it. Plus you have to actively look for work and report it weekly.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base year to calculate benefits. They take that quarter's earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. Your base year is typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file.

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Thanks! So if I made $15,000 in my highest quarter, I'd get about $577 per week? That seems pretty good actually.

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That's right! Just remember you'll need to file your weekly claims and meet the job search requirements to keep getting benefits.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 plus $25 for each dependent child up to 5 kids. So if you were making $4,200 monthly consistently, you'd probably qualify for close to the maximum.

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That's way higher than I expected! So it's really based on just one quarter, not my whole work history?

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Yes, they take your highest earning quarter and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount. But there's also a minimum requirement - you need at least $3,200 in your highest quarter to qualify.

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just filed last week and got approved for $487 per week, been making about $24/hour at my job for the past year. the amount shows up in your eServices account once they process your claim

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That's really helpful to know! How long did it take to get approved?

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took about 10 days but I didn't have any issues with my claim. some people wait longer if they have to go through adjudication

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The benefit amount also depends on your base period earnings. Washington ESD looks at the first four of the last five completed quarters before you file. If you don't qualify with that base period, they'll use an alternate base period. The minimum weekly benefit is $295 and maximum is $999 as of 2025.

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What happens if I worked part-time during some of those quarters? Does that affect the calculation?

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Yes, they include all covered employment. Part-time work counts toward your base period wages, which could actually help increase your benefit amount.

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I had mixed part-time and full-time work and still qualified for $580 per week. The system accounts for all of it.

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I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks to get my exact benefit amount but can never get through. The automated system is useless and I keep getting disconnected. Anyone else having this problem?

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

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. They take that quarter's earnings, divide by 26, then you get about 3.85% of your total base period wages. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week.

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Thanks! So if I made $45k total, what would that work out to roughly per week?

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Hard to say without knowing your quarterly breakdown, but probably somewhere around $350-400 weekly if your earnings were consistent.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999, but most people get way less than that. You take your highest quarter wages, divide by 26, then that's roughly your weekly amount.

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So if I made like $6,000 in my best quarter, I'd get around $230 per week?

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Yeah that sounds about right. Plus you might qualify for the additional $25 dependency allowance if you have kids.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past 15 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit is $999 as of 2025. Your amount will be roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings divided by 13 weeks.

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Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $16,250, that would be about $625 per week?

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That sounds about right, but Washington ESD will calculate the exact amount when you file your initial claim.

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Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from the past 18 months. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. Your amount depends on your base period wages - they take your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26 to get your weekly amount.

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So if I made $13,000 in my highest quarter, that would be $13,000 divided by 26 = $500 per week?

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Exactly! That's how the calculation works. You can also get an estimate by logging into your SecureAccess Washington account and using their benefit calculator tool.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past year to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is $999 but most people get way less than that. Your benefit is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings divided by 13 weeks.

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So if I made like $9,000 in my best quarter, that would be around $265 per week?

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Yeah that sounds about right. You can 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 wages during your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). Your weekly benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages, up to a maximum of $999 per week in 2025. So if you made around $25,000 in your base period, you'd get about $480 per week.

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That's helpful, thanks! Is there a minimum amount too? I'm worried my wages might not be high enough.

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Yes, the minimum weekly benefit amount is $295 in 2025. As long as you have sufficient wages in your base period, you should qualify for at least that amount.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past year to calculate benefits. Generally it's about 60-70% of your average weekly wage, but there's a weekly maximum that changes each year. For 2025 I think the max is around $999 per week.

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Thanks! So they look at my best quarter, not my total annual income?

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Exactly. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 13 weeks, then calculate roughly 60% of that amount.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. It's roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year. For 2025, the max is around $999 per week.

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So if I made $12,600 in my best quarter, that would be about $485 per week? That seems like a lot less than I expected.

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That sounds about right. The formula is designed to replace a portion of your income, not all of it. You'll also need to look for work and report your job search activities each week.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is roughly 3.85% of that highest quarter's wages. For example, if you made $8,000 in your best quarter, you'd get around $308 per week.

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Mei Lin

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I just went through this process last month. Was making about the same as you and ended up getting $487 per week. The calculation is pretty straightforward once you understand it, but Washington ESD's website makes it seem more complicated than it is.

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Did you have any trouble getting through to them to verify your benefit amount? I keep hearing the phone lines are impossible.

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Mei Lin

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Oh man, yes. I probably called 200+ times over two weeks trying to get someone on the phone. Eventually found this service called Claimyr that calls for you - saved me so much time. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

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Interesting, never heard of that. I'll check it out if I can't get through myself.

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Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate your weekly benefit amount. Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. So if you file now in 2025, they'd look at Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. Your weekly benefit is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's a maximum weekly amount that changes each year.

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Thanks! So if I made $15,000 in my highest quarter, that would be about $577 per week? That seems higher than I expected.

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That's about right, but remember there's a cap. For 2025 the maximum weekly benefit is around $999, so you'd get the full amount you calculated.

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Washington unemployment benefits are calculated using your highest earning quarter from the past year. They take your total wages from that quarter and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week.

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So if I made $13,000 in my highest quarter, that would be $500 per week? That seems like a lot compared to what I expected.

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Yes, that's correct. Washington has one of the higher unemployment benefit rates in the country. You can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks typically.

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