How much is unemployment per week 2024 - Washington ESD payment amounts?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter from the past year. The formula is pretty straightforward - they take your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26. For 2024, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 per week, and the minimum is $295.

i think the amounts went up this year compared to 2023. my friend got approved and she's getting like $850 a week which seems pretty good

Just went through this process myself. One thing to keep in mind is that you need to have earned at least $7,000 total in your base year to qualify for benefits. Also, your weekly benefit amount stays the same throughout your entire claim period - it doesn't change based on current job market or anything like that.

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation and can never reach anyone. Their phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected after waiting on hold forever. It's so frustrating when you just need a simple answer about your weekly amount.

One thing that caught me off guard is that Washington ESD also looks at your earnings in the alternate base year if you don't qualify under the regular base year. This can sometimes result in a higher weekly benefit amount if your recent earnings were better.

does anyone know if the weekly amount includes taxes or is that before taxes? trying to budget for my bills

I calculated my weekly benefit using the formula mentioned above but when I actually got approved, the amount was different. Turned out I had some unreported earnings that affected the calculation. Make sure all your W-2s and earnings are accurate in the system.

The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator tool that's pretty accurate. Just search for 'benefit calculator' on their site and it walks you through the calculation step by step.

Been on unemployment for 8 weeks now and getting $742 per week. The amount has been consistent every week as long as I file my weekly claims on time. Don't forget you have to file every week even if the amount doesn't change.

Just a heads up that if you work part-time while collecting unemployment, they'll reduce your weekly benefit amount. It's not dollar-for-dollar though - you can earn up to a certain amount before it affects your benefits.

The unemployment amounts in Washington are actually pretty decent compared to other states. My sister lives in a different state and gets way less per week even though she made similar wages.

I'm still waiting for my claim to be approved so I don't know my exact amount yet, but this thread has been super helpful for estimating what to expect. Thanks everyone!

Pro tip: if you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone to ask about your benefit amount, I used Claimyr recently and got through to an agent in like 10 minutes. Way better than spending hours on hold.

Remember that your weekly benefit amount also determines how many weeks of benefits you can receive. In Washington, you can typically get up to 26 weeks of benefits, but the total amount you can receive is limited to 30% of your base year earnings.

this is all so confusing... why can't they just make it simple and tell you upfront what you'll get per week???

For anyone still confused about the calculation, here's a simple example: If your highest quarter had $15,600 in earnings, divide by 26 to get $600 per week. That's your weekly benefit amount as long as it's between the minimum ($295) and maximum ($999) for 2024.

Does anyone know if the benefit amounts for 2025 have been announced yet? I'm wondering if they'll increase again next year.

One more thing to remember - your weekly benefit amount is based on Washington state wages only. If you worked in multiple states, those out-of-state wages won't count toward your Washington unemployment calculation.

I had to call Washington ESD three times before I could get through to someone to verify my benefit calculation. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it was so much easier. Got connected right away and the agent explained everything clearly.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread! I feel much more confident about what to expect for my weekly benefit amount now. The $500 estimate based on my earnings looks about right.