How much money can you get on Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past 18 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount. They take that quarter's earnings and divide by 13 to get your weekly amount. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $295. With your salary, you'd probably get close to the max.

The calculation is actually a bit more complex. They look at your base period earnings and use a formula. Your weekly benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of your average quarterly wages during your base period. But there's also a minimum hours requirement - you need at least 680 hours of work during your base period.

I was having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about my benefit calculation. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to an agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really helped me understand my exact benefit amount.

just so you know the maximum changes every year. i think last year it was like $844 or something but now its $999 for 2025. also depends on if you have dependents cause you can get extra money for that

The dependent allowance is $24 per dependent child under 18, with a maximum of 5 dependents. So you could get up to $120 extra per week. But you have to meet certain income requirements for the dependent allowance to apply.

Don't forget you can collect for up to 26 weeks in a benefit year, assuming you have enough wages in your base period. Some people think unemployment is just a few weeks but it's actually up to 6 months if you qualify.

I'm currently getting $887 per week and I was making about $65K before I got laid off. The calculation seemed pretty fair based on what I was earning. Just make sure you report any part-time work correctly because they'll reduce your benefits if you earn too much in a week.

THE SYSTEM IS SO CONFUSING! I've been trying to figure out my benefit amount for weeks and every website gives different information. Why can't Washington ESD just have a simple calculator on their website??

Quick question - does the $999 maximum include taxes or is that before taxes? I want to budget correctly if I end up needing to file.

One thing to keep in mind is that your benefit amount is locked in when you file your initial claim. Even if you had higher earnings after your base period, they won't count toward your current claim. You'd have to wait until your benefit year ends to file a new claim with updated earnings.

I used Claimyr twice now to get through to Washington ESD agents and both times they were super helpful explaining the benefit calculations. The second time I used it was to understand why my benefit amount changed when I started working part-time. Definitely worth using if you need specific answers about your claim.

Does anyone know if there are different benefit amounts for different types of unemployment? Like if you quit vs got fired vs laid off?

Just a heads up that the benefit amounts and maximums can change each year based on the state's average weekly wage. So if you're looking at old information online, make sure it's current for 2025.

i wish they would just send you a letter or email telling you exactly how much you'll get instead of making you guess. the whole system seems designed to confuse people

For what it's worth, I think Washington's unemployment benefits are pretty generous compared to other states. The maximum weekly amount is definitely higher than most places.

Don't forget about the waiting week requirement. You won't get paid for your first week of unemployment even if you're eligible. It's kind of like a one-week deductible.

The benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website is actually pretty accurate if you have all your wage information handy. It saved me from having to call and ask about my potential benefit amount.

Remember that unemployment benefits are meant to replace about 50% of your average weekly wage, up to the maximum. So if you were making really good money, you might not get anywhere close to your full salary replaced.

Another thing to consider is that you have to actively look for work and report your job search activities. So while you're getting benefits, you're also expected to be trying to find new employment. It's not just free money.

If you're still having trouble reaching Washington ESD directly, I had good luck with Claimyr too. They got me connected to an agent who walked through my entire benefit calculation and explained why my amount was what it was. Really helped me understand the whole process.