How much unemployment can I get from Washington ESD - weekly benefit calculation?

Washington ESD uses your base year earnings to calculate your weekly benefit amount (WBA). They look at your four highest-earning quarters in your base period and use a formula. Generally, you'll get about 3.85% of those total earnings divided by 52 weeks, but there's a minimum of $295/week and maximum of $999/week for 2025.

ugh the whole base period thing is so confusing. I think mine was calculated wrong but I can't get through to anyone at Washington ESD to check it. Been calling for weeks and either get busy signals or get disconnected after waiting on hold forever.

The maximum weekly benefit in Washington is $999 as of 2025, but most people don't get the full amount. Your benefit is roughly 50% of your average weekly wage during your base period, subject to the minimum and maximum limits. If you made $52k consistently, you're probably looking at somewhere in the $400-500 range weekly.

just filed last week and still waiting to hear back on my benefit amount. this whole process is taking forever and I'm stressed about money

Washington ESD's benefit calculator on their website isn't very helpful. It gives you a rough estimate but the actual amount can be different. I thought I was going to get $450/week based on their calculator but ended up getting $520 because of some overtime I had forgotten about.

Keep in mind you'll need to file your weekly claims every week and do your job search activities to keep getting benefits. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and you have to log them in WorkSourceWA.

The whole system is a mess. I've been trying to get my benefit amount corrected for over a month now. Every time I call Washington ESD I get a different answer from different agents.

Don't forget that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You might want to have taxes withheld or set aside money for tax time. I made that mistake my first time on unemployment and owed a bunch come April.

If you're getting partial unemployment because you're working reduced hours, the calculation gets more complicated. They reduce your benefit based on how much you earn each week.

Make sure you apply as soon as possible if you haven't already. There's a waiting week for unemployment in Washington, so the sooner you file, the sooner you'll start receiving benefits.

The benefit amount also depends on whether you have any dependents. If you have a non-working spouse or dependent children, you might qualify for additional dependency benefits.

Has anyone else noticed that Washington ESD's phone system is absolutely terrible? I've been trying to reach them about my benefit calculation for weeks and can never get through during business hours.

Once you get your monetary determination letter, make sure to review it carefully. If anything looks wrong with your wage history or benefit calculation, you can appeal it within 30 days.