How much unemployment can I get from Washington ESD - need to know my weekly benefit amount

Washington ESD uses your highest quarter of earnings from the base period to calculate your weekly benefit. The formula is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year. For 2025 I believe it's around $999 per week max.

i think the max is actually lower than that, maybe like $844 or something? i remember checking last year and it wasn't as high as $999

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify your benefit amount, I had success using Claimyr recently. It's a service that helps you actually reach an agent - saved me hours of calling. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and the site is claimyr.com. Might be worth checking out if you need to speak with someone about your specific situation.

Don't forget you can choose to have taxes withheld! I made the mistake of not doing that my first time on unemployment and owed a bunch at tax time. You can request 10% federal withholding when you file your initial claim.

The system is so confusing with all these calculations. I've been trying to figure out my benefit amount for weeks and Washington ESD's website doesn't make it clear. Why can't they just have a simple calculator?

Just wanted to update - I found the calculator on Washington ESD's site and it's showing about $485 per week for me. That seems reasonable based on my salary. Thanks everyone for the help!

wait so the maximum changes every year? i thought it was fixed. this is my first time filing for unemployment and i'm so lost with all this stuff

One thing to keep in mind is that you also have to meet the minimum earnings requirement. I think you need at least $3,000 in your base period to qualify for benefits at all.

Has anyone had issues with Washington ESD miscalculating their benefit amount? I got approved but the weekly amount seems wrong based on what I earned.

The whole system is a mess. I've been waiting 3 weeks just to get my benefit amount determined and every time I call I get disconnected. How is anyone supposed to survive like this?

For anyone still confused about the calculation, here's the basic formula: Take your highest quarter earnings, multiply by 3.85%, then divide by 13 weeks. That gives you your weekly benefit amount, up to the maximum.

just remember you have to file weekly claims to keep getting paid. missing even one week can mess up your benefits

Does the benefit amount ever change while you're on unemployment? Like if you do some part-time work?

I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked great. Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in about 10 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. They were able to explain exactly how my benefit amount was calculated.

Remember that unemployment benefits are taxable income, so even if you don't have taxes withheld, you'll owe at tax time. Plan accordingly!

the washington esd website has gotten better over the years but it's still confusing. at least now you can check your claim status online instead of having to call

For what it's worth, I've been on unemployment twice and both times the benefit calculator on their website was pretty accurate. The actual amount I received matched the estimate within a few dollars.

Make sure you understand the difference between your weekly benefit amount and your maximum benefit amount. The weekly is what you get each week, the maximum is the total you can receive during your benefit year.

This thread has been super helpful! I was dreading trying to figure all this out on my own. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

One last tip - if you're eligible for the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, you might be able to get additional benefits beyond the regular unemployment amount. Worth looking into if you lost your job due to foreign trade.