How much is unemployment check from Washington ESD weekly?
I'm trying to figure out what to expect for my weekly unemployment benefit amount from Washington ESD. Just got laid off from my warehouse job making $22/hour and filed my initial claim last week. The system shows my claim is pending but doesn't give me any idea what my weekly benefit amount will be. I know it's based on your earnings but I can't find anywhere that explains how they actually calculate it. Does anyone know roughly what percentage of your wages you get? I'm worried it won't be enough to cover my rent.
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StarStrider
Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) using your highest quarter earnings from your base period. It's roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings divided by 26 weeks, but there's a minimum of $295 and maximum of $999 per week as of 2025. So if you made around $11,000 in your best quarter, you'd get close to the max.
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Ethan Clark
•Thanks that helps! I think my best quarter was around $8,500 so that would put me somewhere in the middle range hopefully.
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Yuki Sato
•The formula is actually (high quarter wages ÷ 26) × 0.0385 but yeah that's basically what you said
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Carmen Ruiz
I've been getting $847/week since I got approved in January. I was making about $28/hour as a nurse so sounds like you'll probably get somewhere in the $600-700 range based on your wage. The hardest part is actually getting through to someone at Washington ESD to check on your claim status once it's filed.
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Ethan Clark
•Yeah I've been trying to call them but can never get through. The phone system just hangs up on me after being on hold.
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Carmen Ruiz
•Exactly! I wasted weeks trying to call until someone told me about 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 demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Andre Lefebvre
•Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true with how impossible it is to reach anyone at ESD
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Zoe Alexopoulos
the maximum weekly benefit in washington is $999 but most people dont get that much unless they were making really good money. i got laid off from costco and my weekly is $624 which covers most of my bills thankfully
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Ethan Clark
•That's not bad! What were you making at Costco if you don't mind me asking? Trying to get a sense of the calculation
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•was making about $24/hour full time so probably similar to your situation
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Jamal Anderson
Don't count on getting approved quickly though. I filed 3 weeks ago and still stuck in adjudication with no word from Washington ESD. Even knowing what your benefit amount should be doesn't help if they won't process your claim!
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StarStrider
•Adjudication can take 2-6 weeks depending on the issue. Have you tried contacting them to find out what's holding it up?
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Jamal Anderson
•I've tried calling dozens of times but can never get through to a human being. The automated system doesn't tell you anything useful.
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Carmen Ruiz
•That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - they specialize in getting you connected to Washington ESD agents when you can't get through on your own. Saved me so much frustration.
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Yuki Sato
Your benefit amount also depends on when you worked. They use a 'base period' which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. So if you filed in February 2025, they'd look at your wages from October 2023 through September 2024.
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Ethan Clark
•Oh wow I didn't know it went back that far. I started my job in March 2024 so hopefully I have enough wages in the base period.
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Yuki Sato
•You should be fine if you worked full time since March 2024. Washington ESD requires earnings in at least 2 quarters of your base period and total earnings of at least $3,800.
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Mei Wong
WASHINGTON ESD IS A JOKE! I've been waiting 5 weeks for my benefits and they keep asking for more documentation. Meanwhile I'm behind on rent and they don't care at all. The whole system is broken and designed to deny claims.
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StarStrider
•What kind of documentation are they asking for? Sometimes it's something simple that can be resolved quickly if you can talk to someone.
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Mei Wong
•They want employment verification from my last job but my employer went out of business! I've explained this 3 times in messages but no response.
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Carmen Ruiz
•That's a tough situation that definitely needs a phone conversation with an agent. Have you considered using a service like Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD? Sometimes these complex cases need direct communication.
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Ethan Clark
Update: I just checked my account and it shows my weekly benefit amount will be $672! That's actually better than I expected. Now I just need to wait for the claim to get approved.
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StarStrider
•That's a good amount! Sounds like the calculation worked out well for your wage history.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•nice! that should help with bills while you look for another job
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QuantumQuasar
Just remember you have to file weekly claims every week to get paid, even while your initial claim is pending. And you need to do job searches - I think it's 3 per week minimum in Washington.
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Ethan Clark
•Good point, I've been filing my weekly claims but haven't started job searching yet since my claim isn't approved. Should I start now?
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QuantumQuasar
•Yes definitely start now! The job search requirement applies from week 1. You need to register with WorkSourceWA too.
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Yuki Sato
•Actually the job search requirement is usually waived for the first week after you file, but better to start right away to be safe.
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Andre Lefebvre
Can someone explain what happens if you work part time while collecting unemployment? Do they reduce your benefits dollar for dollar?
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StarStrider
•Washington ESD allows you to earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction. After that, they deduct earnings from your benefits but you get to keep the first 25% plus 25% of anything over that threshold.
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Andre Lefebvre
•That's confusing... so if my weekly benefit is $600 I can earn $150 without penalty?
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StarStrider
•Exactly. And if you earned $300 that week, you'd keep the first $150 plus 25% of the remaining $150 (which is $37.50), so your total benefit would be reduced by $112.50.
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Liam McGuire
I hate how confusing Washington ESD makes everything. The website is terrible and you can never reach anyone by phone. At least once you figure out your benefit amount it stays the same each week.
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Carmen Ruiz
•The phone situation is definitely frustrating. That's why services like Claimyr exist - they handle the calling hassle for you and actually get you connected to Washington ESD agents.
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Liam McGuire
•I might have to try that. I've been trying to reach them for 2 weeks about an issue with my claim.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
also dont forget unemployment benefits are taxable income so you might want to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments. i learned that the hard way last year
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Ethan Clark
•Oh good point! How do you set that up? Is it an option when you file your weekly claims?
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•yeah you can log into your account and change your tax withholding settings. i think they withhold 10% for federal taxes if you choose that option
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Jamal Anderson
Still waiting on my adjudication but at least I know what my benefit amount should be now. This thread was helpful for understanding the calculation. Wish Washington ESD would just approve claims faster!
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StarStrider
•Hang in there! Most adjudication issues do get resolved eventually, it just takes patience unfortunately.
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Mei Wong
•PATIENCE?? Some of us can't afford to wait months for benefits we're entitled to!
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