How much is unemployment benefits in Washington state - weekly payment amounts?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings from your highest quarter in your base period. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999 per week. They use a formula that typically gives you about 50% of your average weekly wages, but it depends on your specific earnings history.

i got $847 per week when i lost my job last year. was making around $65k annually. took forever to get approved though, like 6 weeks because of adjudication issues

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about benefit amounts or check your claim status, I found this service called Claimyr that actually gets you connected to a real person. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting disconnected.

The minimum weekly benefit amount in Washington is $295 and the maximum is $999 as of 2025. Your benefit amount is calculated using your two highest quarters of earnings in your base period. Washington ESD also adds $25 per dependent child up to 5 children, which can increase your weekly amount significantly if you have kids.

WASHINGTON ESD'S BENEFIT CALCULATOR IS COMPLETELY USELESS! I tried using it three times and got three different amounts. The whole system is broken and they make it impossible to get real answers about how much you'll actually receive.

Just filed my claim last week and still waiting to hear back about my benefit amount. Washington ESD said it could take up to 2 weeks to process. The waiting is killing me because I need to know if I can afford my rent.

My sister got $723 per week but she had to appeal her initial determination because they calculated it wrong the first time. Took an extra month to get it sorted out but she did get back pay for the time she was waiting.

One thing to remember is that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld or pay them when you file your return. Many people forget about this and get surprised at tax time.

anybody know if part time work affects your unemployment amount? i might be able to pick up some freelance work but dont want to mess up my benefits

I've been on unemployment for 8 weeks now getting $445 per week. It's not much but it's keeping me afloat while I job search. The key is filing your weekly claims on time every week or you lose that week's payment.

The amount depends on your work history but also how long you worked. You need to have worked at least 680 hours in your base period to qualify. If you just started working recently you might not be eligible.

If anyone needs to talk to Washington ESD about their benefit calculation, seriously try Claimyr. I wasted so much time trying to call the regular number. With Claimyr I got through in under 30 minutes and the agent was able to explain exactly how my benefits were calculated.

my benefit amount was way lower than expected because i had a gap in employment 18 months ago. apparently that affected my base period calculation. wish someone had explained that before i filed

Quick question - do bonuses count toward your earnings for calculating benefits? I got a $5000 bonus last year and wondering if that helps my weekly amount.

Washington unemployment benefits last for up to 26 weeks normally. The amount stays the same each week unless you have earnings to report or your circumstances change.

just remember you have to be actively looking for work to keep getting benefits. they check your job search activities and you need at least 3 job contacts per week. keep good records!

The benefit amount might seem low compared to your regular salary but remember you're not paying for gas, work clothes, lunch out, etc. It stretches further than you think.

Make sure you set up direct deposit when you file your claim. Paper checks take forever and can get lost in the mail. I learned that the hard way with my first payment.

One more thing about Claimyr - they were really helpful when I had questions about my benefit calculation that the automated system couldn't answer. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person who understands the system.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel much more prepared now if I do end up having to file for unemployment. At least I have a rough idea of what to expect for the weekly amount and all the requirements.