How much is unemployment per week in Washington state - what can I expect?
I'm about to file for unemployment for the first time and trying to figure out what my weekly benefit amount will be. I was making about $52,000 a year at my last job before getting laid off. Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the weekly benefit amount? I've heard it's based on your highest quarter earnings but I'm not sure how that works exactly. Just want to get an idea of what to expect so I can budget accordingly.
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Daniel Rogers
Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base year to calculate your weekly benefit amount. Generally it's about 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's also a minimum and maximum. For 2025, the max weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $295. With your salary, you'll probably get somewhere in the middle range.
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Zara Perez
•Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $13,500, that would put me at roughly $520 per week?
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Daniel Rogers
•That sounds about right. The exact calculation can vary slightly but you're in the ballpark.
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Aaliyah Reed
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 system is impossible. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to a real person there?
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Ella Russell
•I had the same problem until I found Claimyr.com - they help you get through to Washington ESD agents. I was skeptical at first but they actually got me connected within 30 minutes. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Aaliyah Reed
•Really? I'll check that out. I'm desperate at this point, been calling for 2 weeks straight.
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Mohammed Khan
•I can vouch for that service too. Used it when my claim got stuck in adjudication and needed to talk to someone urgently.
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Gavin King
The weekly benefit amount also depends on if you have any dependents. You can get additional money for dependent children - I think it's like $25 per dependent up to 5 kids maximum.
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Zara Perez
•Good to know! I don't have any dependents so won't apply to me but helpful info.
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Nathan Kim
•Yeah the dependent allowance helps but it's not huge. Better than nothing though.
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Eleanor Foster
Just remember you'll need to file your weekly claims every week and do your job search activities. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week now. Don't forget about that part or your benefits will get stopped.
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Zara Perez
•What counts as job search activities? Is it just applying to jobs or other stuff too?
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Eleanor Foster
•Applying to jobs, attending job fairs, networking events, skills training - there's a list on the WorkSourceWA website. You have to log everything.
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Lucas Turner
•The job search requirements are such a pain but you have to do them. I got dinged once for not logging properly.
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Mohammed Khan
One thing to watch out for - your benefit amount might be different than what you calculate because Washington ESD sometimes has weird quirks in their system. I thought I'd get $450/week based on my earnings but ended up getting $385. Never did figure out why.
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Zara Perez
•Did you ever call to ask about the difference?
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Mohammed Khan
•Tried to but couldn't get through. This was before I knew about services like Claimyr that help you reach them.
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Kai Rivera
Make sure to file your claim as soon as possible after you lose your job. There's a waiting week but the sooner you file the sooner you can start the process. And keep all your documentation from your employer about the layoff.
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Zara Perez
•Already filed yesterday! Just waiting to hear back about my benefit amount determination.
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Kai Rivera
•Good! It usually takes about a week to get your monetary determination letter.
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Anna Stewart
•Sometimes longer if there are any issues with your work history or wages.
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Layla Sanders
The maximum benefit duration is 26 weeks in Washington unless you qualify for extended benefits during high unemployment periods. Just so you know for planning purposes.
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Zara Perez
•Hopefully I won't need all 26 weeks but good to know the limit.
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Layla Sanders
•Yeah most people find work before then but it's good to know your options.
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Morgan Washington
Don't forget about taxes! Washington ESD benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have federal taxes withheld or pay them later when you file your return.
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Zara Perez
•Oh right, I forgot about that. Probably better to have them withhold taxes so I don't get hit with a big bill later.
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Morgan Washington
•Yeah that's usually the smart move. It's 10% federal withholding if you opt for it.
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Kaylee Cook
•Washington state doesn't have income tax so you only worry about federal.
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Oliver Alexander
Your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when you file, but you can only collect up to 26 weeks of benefits during that year. If you go back to work and then get laid off again within that benefit year, you might be able to reopen your claim.
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Zara Perez
•That's complicated but makes sense. Hopefully won't be relevant for me.
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Oliver Alexander
•Yeah it's one of those things you hope you never need to know but good to understand just in case.
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Lara Woods
If you worked in multiple states, you might need to file in the state where you worked most recently or earned the most wages. Washington ESD can help figure that out but again, good luck reaching them by phone.
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Zara Perez
•I only worked in Washington so should be straightforward for me.
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Ella Russell
•For anyone else with that problem, definitely use Claimyr to get through and ask Washington ESD directly. They'll know the rules better than guessing.
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Adrian Hughes
Keep checking your claim status online regularly. Sometimes there are issues that need to be resolved and you won't get paid until you fix them. The adjudication process can take forever if there are any questions about your eligibility.
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Zara Perez
•What kind of issues usually come up?
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Adrian Hughes
•Things like if your employer contests the claim, questions about why you left your job, wage discrepancies - lots of different stuff.
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Molly Chambers
•My claim was in adjudication for 6 weeks over something minor. It was so frustrating.
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Ian Armstrong
The online system at esd.wa.gov is where you'll do everything - file weekly claims, check your benefit amount, upload documents if needed. Get familiar with it because you'll be using it every week.
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Zara Perez
•I've been poking around the website. It's not the most user-friendly but I'm figuring it out.
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Ian Armstrong
•Yeah it's not great but it works. Just be patient with it especially on Sundays when everyone is filing their weekly claims.
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Eli Butler
One last thing - if you do any part-time or temporary work while collecting unemployment, you have to report it on your weekly claim. They'll reduce your benefit amount based on how much you earned, but you might still get some partial benefits.
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Zara Perez
•Good to know. I was thinking about doing some freelance work to make ends meet.
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Eli Butler
•Yeah you can do that just make sure to report everything honestly. Getting caught not reporting work is serious trouble.
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Marcus Patterson
•The earnings deduction formula is kind of complicated but basically they subtract your earnings minus $5 from your weekly benefit amount.
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