How much is unemployment pay in Washington ESD weekly benefits?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then that's your weekly amount. Maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is $999 per week. You also need to meet the minimum earnings requirements during your base period.

the base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file your claim. so if you file in january 2025, your base period would be october 2023 through september 2024

Been dealing with Washington ESD for months trying to get through to someone about my benefit calculation. The phone system is absolutely horrible - I've called hundreds of times and either get busy signals or hung up on after waiting for hours. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at Washington ESD in like 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Game changer for getting answers about benefit amounts and other claim issues.

Your benefit amount also depends on whether you qualify for regular UI or if you're in some special category. If you were laid off vs fired vs quit makes a difference too. Washington ESD has different rules for different situations.

ugh the whole system is so confusing!! i've been trying to figure out my benefit amount for weeks and every website gives different info. why can't washington esd just have a simple calculator on their site???

Just filed my claim last week and my weekly benefit amount came out to $521. I was making about $55K per year at my previous job. The whole process took about 30 minutes online and I got my determination letter within 3 days.

Don't forget about taxes! Your unemployment benefits are taxable income so you might want to have them withhold federal taxes or you'll owe at tax time. I learned this the hard way last year.

also make sure you understand the job search requirements. you need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a log. if you don't do this you can lose your benefits even if everything else is fine

I'm curious about that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier. Has anyone else used it? I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about my claim status and I'm getting desperate.

The maximum weekly benefit amount changes every year based on the state's average wage. In 2025 it's $999 but it was lower in previous years. If you're looking at old information online make sure it's current.

One thing to remember is that you have to serve a waiting week before you start receiving benefits. So even if you file right away, your first payable week will be the second week of your claim.

If you worked in multiple states, Washington ESD might need to coordinate with other states for your wage information. This can slow down the process but shouldn't affect your benefit amount calculation once they have all the info.

Pro tip: when you file your weekly claims, make sure you report any work or earnings EXACTLY as they ask. Even small mistakes can cause payment delays or overpayment issues later.

tried calling washington esd this morning about my benefit amount and got disconnected after 2 hours on hold. this system is completely broken

Your benefit duration is also important to consider. Most people get up to 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits, but it depends on your work history and when you file your claim.

Make sure you keep track of your benefit year dates too. Your claim is only valid for one year from when you file, so if you go back to work and then get laid off again within that year, you might be able to reopen your existing claim rather than filing a new one.

Does anyone know if part-time work affects your weekly benefit amount? Like if I get a part-time job while collecting unemployment, how does that work with the payments?

Been on unemployment for 8 weeks now and the weekly claims process becomes pretty routine. Just make sure you file every week even if you haven't heard back about your initial claim yet. Missing weekly claim filings can cause problems later.

One more thing about benefit calculations - if your wages were really low in your base period, you might not qualify for unemployment at all. There are minimum earning requirements that vary by state. Washington ESD will tell you during the application process if you don't meet the requirements.

Just wanted to add that if you're confused about any of this stuff, the WorkSource offices around the state can help you understand the process. They have people who can walk you through filing your claim and explain how the benefit calculations work.