How much is unemployment pay in Washington - need to know my benefit amount

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. Your weekly benefit amount (WBA) is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings. So if you made $7,000 in your best quarter, you'd get around $270 per week. There's also a minimum of $295 and maximum of $999 per week for 2025.

just filed last week and still waiting to hear back about my benefit amount. the online calculator on the Washington ESD website gave me an estimate but im not sure how accurate it is

If you need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your benefit calculation, I'd recommend checking out Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to an actual agent instead of sitting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really helped me when I had questions about my weekly benefit amount.

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.

DONT FORGET about taxes! Your unemployment benefits are taxable income so you'll owe federal and state taxes on them. You can have taxes withheld or pay quarterly estimated taxes. I learned this the hard way last year.

For someone making $18/hour full time, you're probably looking at around $400-500 per week depending on your exact earnings history. The calculation can be confusing but Washington ESD will send you a monetary determination letter that breaks it all down once you file.

remember you also have to meet the minimum earnings requirement to qualify. you need at least $3,850 in your base period and earnings in at least two quarters. sounds like you should be fine with 2 years of full time work

The maximum benefit duration is 26 weeks in Washington. So whatever your weekly amount is, you can collect it for up to 26 weeks if you stay eligible and keep filing your weekly claims.

If you worked part time or had irregular hours, your benefit amount might be lower. The calculation is based on your actual reported wages, not just your hourly rate. But with full time retail work you should get a decent amount.

washington esd has been impossible to reach lately. tried calling dozens of times about my benefit calculation and never got through. finally used that claimyr service someone mentioned and actually talked to a real person within an hour. they explained exactly how my benefit amount was calculated

Make sure you file as soon as possible after your last day of work. You can't collect benefits for weeks before you file, even if you were eligible. The sooner you file, the sooner you start getting paid.

One thing to watch out for - if you had any vacation pay or severance pay, that might affect when your benefits start. Washington ESD considers that wages and you might have a waiting period.

The whole system is confusing honestly. Between the base period calculation and all the eligibility requirements, it's hard to know what you'll actually get until you file and get your determination letter.

Don't forget about the job search requirements once you start collecting. You'll need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep a log. That's part of staying eligible for benefits.

if you end up having trouble with your claim or need to talk to washington esd about your benefit amount, that claimyr thing really does work. i was skeptical at first but it saved me so much time and frustration

Bottom line - file as soon as you can, be patient waiting for your determination letter, and make sure you understand the job search requirements. The benefit amount will be what it is based on your work history.