How much money for unemployment benefits in Washington ESD 2025?

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past 18 months to calculate your weekly benefit amount (WBA). They take your total wages from that quarter and divide by 26. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 per week. With your wages you mentioned, you'd probably qualify for somewhere around $550-650 per week, but it depends on your exact earnings history.

the max went up this year i think it was like $844 last year but now its almost $1000. thats pretty good compared to other states

Just a heads up - getting through to Washington ESD to check on your benefit calculation can be really frustrating. I spent weeks trying to call them about my weekly benefit amount. Finally discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much time and stress.

Don't forget you can also get up to 26 weeks of benefits in Washington, so multiply your weekly amount by 26 to see your total potential benefit. That's assuming you don't find work before then of course. The job search requirements are pretty strict now too.

WASHINGTON ESD IS SO SLOW WITH EVERYTHING!!! I filed 3 weeks ago and still haven't gotten my first payment. They keep saying my claim is in adjudication but won't tell me why or how long it will take. This is ridiculous when people need money to survive.

The benefit calculation is based on your base year wages. Washington ESD looks at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. They add up all your wages from those four quarters, then use a formula to determine your weekly benefit amount. The minimum weekly benefit is $295 and maximum is $999 for 2025.

i made like $15/hr and got $402 per week so ur probably looking at more than that with $22/hr

One thing to keep in mind is that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or pay them when you file your tax return. Many people forget about this and get surprised at tax time.

My sister used some calling service to reach Washington ESD when her benefits got messed up. I think it was Claimyr or something like that? She said it actually worked and got her through to someone who could fix her payment issue. Might be worth looking into if you have problems.

Just be prepared for the waiting game. Even after you file and get approved, it can take a few weeks before you see your first payment. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even if you haven't been paid yet, or you'll lose those weeks.

Washington's benefits are actually pretty decent. I moved here from Texas where the max was only like $500 something. The $999 max here is way better, though obviously you need to have earned enough to qualify for that amount.

Make sure you file ASAP if you haven't already. There's a one week waiting period before benefits start, and you can't get paid for any weeks before you actually filed your claim. So if you were laid off 3 weeks ago but just file now, you've lost those 3 weeks of potential benefits.

Since you're just starting the process, I'd definitely recommend having a backup plan for contacting Washington ESD if you run into issues. Like I mentioned before, Claimyr really helped me when I couldn't get through their phone system. Worth having in your back pocket.

The benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website is pretty accurate if you want to get an estimate before filing. Just need your quarterly wage info from the past year and a half.

don't forget about the work search requirements once you start getting paid. you have to prove you're actively looking for work or they'll cut off your benefits

Good luck with your claim! The process can be frustrating but the benefits really help while you're looking for new work. Just stay on top of your weekly claims and job search requirements.

One last tip - if you do end up needing to call Washington ESD for any reason, I had success with that Claimyr service too. Really cuts down on the hold time and actually gets you to a real person who can help.