How much of your salary do you get on Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings during your base period, which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. It's not a straight percentage of your salary. They look at your highest quarter earnings and use a formula. The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999 per week.

The formula is your highest quarter earnings divided by 26, then they take that amount and pay you roughly 50% of it weekly. So if your highest quarter was $12,600, that's about $484 per week, and you'd get around $242 in unemployment benefits. But there are minimums and maximums.

I had such a hard time getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about my benefit calculation. Spent literally hours calling their customer service line and either got busy signals or got disconnected after waiting on hold. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved my sanity honestly.

The minimum weekly benefit in Washington is $342 and the maximum is $999 as of 2025. Most people fall somewhere in between obviously. Your benefit year lasts 52 weeks but you can only collect up to 26 weeks worth of benefits unless there are extensions during emergencies.

Whatever you do, make sure you're reporting your job search activities correctly. Washington ESD requires you to search for work and keep detailed records. I got my benefits stopped because I didn't log my job searches properly in WorkSourceWA. Had to go through a whole appeal process.

I've been on unemployment twice in Washington and both times the amount was less than I expected. First time I was making about $3,800/month and got $318/week. Second time I was making $5,200/month and got $428/week. It definitely varies based on your earnings history.

The Washington ESD monetary determination letter will tell you exactly what your weekly benefit amount is once you file. Don't try to calculate it yourself - their system is complicated and factors in things like variable earnings. Just file and wait for the official determination.

DONT FORGET about taxes! Washington ESD unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld or pay quarterly. I made the mistake of not having taxes taken out and owed a bunch at tax time.

ugh I'm in the same boat trying to figure this out. Washington ESD's website is so confusing and I can never get anyone on the phone to explain it clearly. Maybe I should try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier.

Just remember that if you have any work during the week, you need to report it when filing your weekly claim. Even part-time or gig work. Washington ESD will reduce your benefits based on what you earn, but you might still get partial benefits depending on the amount.

My advice is to file as soon as possible after you lose your job. There's a one-week waiting period anyway, and the sooner you file, the sooner you'll know your exact benefit amount. Don't wait trying to figure out the math ahead of time.

One more thing - if your employer contests your claim, it could delay your benefits while Washington ESD investigates. This is called adjudication and it can take weeks. Just be prepared for that possibility.

I was making $4,800/month and my weekly benefit amount ended up being $487. So roughly 25% of my monthly income like someone else mentioned. It's not great but it helps bridge the gap while job hunting.

The Washington ESD benefit calculator on their website can give you a rough estimate if you have your quarterly earnings info. But like others said, the official determination is what matters. Good luck with your claim!