How much is unemployment benefits in Washington state?
I'm trying to figure out how much I might get if I file for unemployment in Washington. I was making about $52,000 a year at my last job before I got laid off two weeks ago. Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the weekly benefit amount? I've looked at their website but it's confusing with all the base period stuff and quarterly wages. Just want to get a rough idea of what to expect before I file my claim.
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CosmicCaptain
Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base period to calculate benefits. The maximum weekly benefit is $999 in 2025, but most people get between $200-700 depending on their wages. They look at your earnings from the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed.
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Emma Davis
•Thanks! So if I made $52k last year, what would that roughly translate to per week?
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CosmicCaptain
•Divide your highest quarter by 26 to get a ballpark estimate. If your highest quarter was around $13k, you'd probably get around $500/week, but Washington ESD has to verify your wages first.
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Malik Johnson
i think its based on your w2 from last year but im not sure exactly how they calculate it. when i filed last year i was getting like $450 a week and i made about 45k
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Emma Davis
•That's helpful to know, thanks! Did you have any issues with the calculation or did it seem accurate?
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Malik Johnson
•seemed about right but it took forever to get approved. had to call them like 50 times
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Isabella Ferreira
The formula is: weekly benefit = (highest quarter wages ÷ 26) × benefit ratio. The benefit ratio ranges from 0.0385 to 0.0735 depending on your wage level. For $52k annually, if your highest quarter was $13k, you'd likely get around $500-550 per week. You can use Washington ESD's benefit calculator on their website for a more precise estimate.
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Emma Davis
•Perfect, that's exactly what I needed to know. I'll check out their calculator too.
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Ravi Sharma
•Just FYI, if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify your benefit amount, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me reach an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and the site is claimyr.com. Saved me hours of calling.
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Freya Thomsen
WAIT A MINUTE! Don't forget about taxes! Washington unemployment benefits are taxable federally but not at the state level. So that $500/week becomes more like $400 after federal taxes if you choose to have them withheld (which I recommend!).
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Emma Davis
•Oh good point! I totally forgot about taxes. Should I have them withhold the full 10% or is that too much?
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Freya Thomsen
•10% is standard and usually covers it, but depends on your total income for the year. Better safe than sorry though!
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Omar Zaki
•yeah i learned this the hard way last year when i owed like $2000 in taxes because i didnt have them withhold anything
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AstroAce
Just a heads up - you need to file your weekly claims every week to keep getting benefits, even if your claim is still pending. And you have to do job searches too. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week now.
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Emma Davis
•Good to know! What counts as a job search activity?
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AstroAce
•Applying for jobs, networking events, career fairs, interviews, even some online job training courses. They have a list on the Washington ESD website.
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Chloe Martin
•make sure you keep records of everything! they can audit your job search log anytime
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Diego Rojas
The benefit amount also depends on if you have any dependents. You can get an additional $25 per week for each dependent child under 18. Not a huge amount but every bit helps when you're unemployed.
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Emma Davis
•I don't have kids but that's good info for others reading this thread.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Wait really? I have two kids and I've been getting unemployment for 6 weeks. Am I missing out on $50/week?
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Diego Rojas
•You need to report your dependents when you file your initial claim. If you didn't, you might be able to add them later but you'd need to contact Washington ESD.
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Sean O'Donnell
Here's something most people don't know - if you worked in multiple states, you might be able to file an interstate claim and potentially get a higher benefit amount. Washington ESD can combine wages from other states in some cases.
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Emma Davis
•I only worked in Washington so that doesn't apply to me, but good info!
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Zara Ahmed
•this is true but its complicated. i worked in oregon and washington and it was a nightmare to figure out
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StarStrider
Pro tip: If your wages aren't showing up correctly in your Washington ESD account, don't panic. Sometimes employers are slow to report wages. You can submit pay stubs as proof of earnings if needed.
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Emma Davis
•Good to know! I'll keep my pay stubs handy just in case.
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Luca Esposito
•Yeah this happened to me. Had to wait like 3 weeks for my employer to submit the wage info. Claimyr helped me get through to someone at Washington ESD to check on the status.
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Nia Thompson
Don't forget the waiting week! Washington has a one-week waiting period, so you won't get paid for your first week of unemployment even if you file your weekly claim.
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Emma Davis
•Ugh, that's annoying but thanks for the warning. So I'll be out of work for 3 weeks before I see any money?
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Nia Thompson
•Pretty much, yeah. File as soon as possible to start the clock ticking.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•actually if you file today and get approved quickly you might get paid in 2 weeks. the waiting week is just the first week you claim
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Aisha Abdullah
I see people mentioning Claimyr - has anyone actually used it? I'm skeptical of paying for something that should be free from Washington ESD.
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Ravi Sharma
•I used it when I couldn't get through to check on my adjudication status. It's not about paying for benefits - it just helps you actually reach a human at Washington ESD when the phone lines are jammed. Worth it when you're desperate honestly.
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Ethan Wilson
•Same here. I was calling for weeks trying to resolve an issue with my claim. Claimyr got me through to an agent the same day and they fixed my problem in 10 minutes.
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NeonNova
One more thing - if you're on standby status (like temporary layoff expecting to return), the rules are different. You don't have to do job searches but you still need to file weekly claims and be available for work.
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Emma Davis
•My layoff is permanent so I don't think standby applies, but good info for others.
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Yuki Tanaka
•standby is great if you qualify but make sure your employer actually puts you on standby status. otherwise you're just regular unemployed
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Carmen Diaz
Just to add - if you quit your job or got fired for misconduct, you probably won't qualify for benefits. Washington ESD is pretty strict about that. But if you were laid off like OP, you should be fine.
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Emma Davis
•Yeah I was definitely laid off due to budget cuts, so I should be good there.
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Andre Laurent
•even if you quit you might still qualify if you had good cause. but its harder to prove
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