How much unemployment benefit can I get from Washington ESD in 2025?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter during your base period (the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed). With your salary, you'd likely qualify for close to the maximum weekly benefit amount, which is currently $999 per week in 2025. Regular UI benefits last up to 26 weeks, but the exact duration depends on your work history and the unemployment rate in Washington.

The base period thing is confusing but basically they look at your wages from about 6-18 months ago, not your most recent earnings. So if you had a raise recently, that might not count toward your benefit calculation. You should be able to see your quarterly wages on your SecureAccess Washington account once you file your claim.

I went through this same calculation nightmare last year. Spent hours on hold trying to get someone at Washington ESD to explain my benefit amount. Finally found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent who walked me through the calculation. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. Saved me so much frustration!

Here's the basic formula: Washington ESD takes your two highest earning quarters from your base period, adds them together, divides by 26, then takes 3.85% of your average weekly wage. But there's also a minimum ($295/week) and maximum ($999/week) that caps the calculation. With your income level, you're probably looking at somewhere between $700-900 per week.

just file already and see what happens, the calculation is automatic anyway. took me like 20 minutes online to submit everything

One thing to keep in mind is that unemployment benefits are taxable income. Washington doesn't have state income tax, but you'll still owe federal taxes on whatever you receive. You can choose to have taxes withheld from your weekly payments or pay quarterly estimated taxes.

I hate how complicated they make this whole system. Been trying to figure out my benefit amount for weeks and every person I talk to gives me different information. The whole base period thing is ridiculous - why not just use your most recent earnings like normal people would expect?

With your tech support background, you should definitely look into whether your employer offers any severance or continuation benefits. Sometimes that can affect your unemployment eligibility or timing. Also, make sure you understand the job search requirements - Washington ESD requires 3 job contacts per week once you start receiving benefits.

I've been collecting unemployment for 3 months now and getting $847 per week. I was making about $4,800/month before I got laid off from my marketing job. The whole process was actually pretty smooth once I got my initial claim approved - just have to file weekly claims every Sunday and do my job search activities.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE. I've been waiting 6 weeks for my claim to get approved and they keep asking for more documentation. Meanwhile bills keep piling up and I can't get anyone on the phone to explain what's taking so long. This is exactly why people need services like Claimyr to actually reach a human being who can help.

Don't forget that you can also appeal if you think your benefit amount is calculated incorrectly. I had to do that last year when they used the wrong quarters for my base period calculation. The appeal process took about 6 weeks but I ended up getting an extra $150 per week retroactively.

Another thing - make sure you file as soon as possible after your last day of work. Benefits are retroactive to your application date, not your last day of employment. So if you wait weeks to file, you're potentially losing money.

my cousin got like $800 something per week when she got laid off from her nursing job. seemed like good money but she said it was still less than what she was making working. better than nothing though

One more consideration - if you find part-time work while collecting unemployment, you can still receive partial benefits as long as you report your earnings. Washington has a pretty generous partial benefit formula compared to some other states. Just make sure you report all work and earnings when you file your weekly claims.

I used Claimyr when I was having issues understanding my benefit calculation and they were super helpful. The agent explained that Washington has one of the more generous unemployment programs in the country - both in terms of benefit amounts and duration. With your work history, you should definitely qualify for substantial weekly benefits.

Just remember that the maximum benefit amount changes each year based on average wages in the state. For 2025, the maximum is $999 per week, but it was lower in previous years. The minimum is $295 per week. Most people with decent jobs end up somewhere in between those amounts.