How much unemployment do I get from Washington ESD - what's my weekly benefit amount?
I just got laid off from my job at a manufacturing plant where I was making $22/hour for the past 2 years. I've never filed for unemployment before and I'm trying to figure out how much I'll actually get each week from Washington ESD. I know it's not going to be my full pay but I can't find a clear answer on their website about the exact calculation. Does anyone know how they figure out your weekly benefit amount? I need to know so I can budget while I'm looking for work.
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Aliyah Debovski
Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter from the past 15 months. They take that quarter's wages and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit. The maximum weekly benefit in 2025 is $999 but most people get way less than that.
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Ally Tailer
•So if I made around $11,400 in my highest quarter, that would be about $438 per week? That seems higher than I expected.
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Aliyah Debovski
•Yes that sounds about right! Just remember you still have to file your weekly claims and meet the job search requirements to keep getting benefits.
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Miranda Singer
The calculation can be confusing but there's also a minimum amount too. I think it's around $295 per week minimum in Washington state. Your amount will be somewhere between the minimum and maximum based on what you earned.
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Cass Green
•Yeah and don't forget they'll subtract any part-time work you do from your weekly benefit amount.
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Ally Tailer
•Good to know about the minimum. I was worried it might be really low since I wasn't making huge money.
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Finley Garrett
I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about my benefit calculation when I filed last year. Ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach an agent who could explain everything. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me from sitting on hold for hours.
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Madison Tipne
•How does that work exactly? Do they call for you or something?
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Finley Garrett
•Yeah they handle the calling and waiting and then connect you when they get an actual Washington ESD person on the line. Super convenient.
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Holly Lascelles
•That actually sounds helpful. I've been trying to call ESD for weeks about my claim status and can never get through.
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Malia Ponder
Just a heads up - you won't get your first payment right away. There's usually a waiting period and they have to process your application first. Mine took about 3 weeks to get the first check.
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Ally Tailer
•3 weeks?? I was hoping it would be faster than that. How am I supposed to pay rent?
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Malia Ponder
•I know it sucks but that's just how long it takes them to verify everything. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even during the waiting period.
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Cass Green
The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator but honestly it's pretty confusing to use. You have to enter all your quarterly wages from the past year and it still doesn't always give you the right number.
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Aliyah Debovski
•The calculator is definitely not user-friendly. I think it's easier to just wait and see what they tell you when you file your initial claim.
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Miranda Singer
•Agreed, that calculator is terrible. Half the time it doesn't even load properly.
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Holly Lascelles
Don't forget you have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits! They don't automatically withhold federal taxes unless you ask them to. I learned that the hard way at tax time.
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Ally Tailer
•Oh man I didn't even think about taxes. How much should I have them withhold?
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Holly Lascelles
•I think the standard is 10% for federal taxes but you should probably talk to a tax person about your specific situation.
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Kyle Wallace
•You can change the tax withholding anytime through your ESD account online if you decide you want them to take out taxes.
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Madison Tipne
Just make sure you actually qualify first before worrying about how much you'll get. They have rules about why you lost your job and how long you worked.
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Ally Tailer
•I got laid off due to budget cuts so I think I should qualify. I worked there for over 2 years full time.
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Madison Tipne
•Yeah layoffs usually qualify no problem. It's when people get fired for misconduct that they have issues.
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Kyle Wallace
The amount also depends on if you have any dependents. I think you can get extra money added to your weekly benefit if you have kids or a spouse who doesn't work.
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Ally Tailer
•I'm single with no kids so I guess that doesn't apply to me.
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Malia Ponder
•The dependent allowance is like $25-30 extra per dependent I think. Not huge but every bit helps.
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Miranda Singer
One thing to remember is that your benefit amount stays the same for your whole benefit year even if you get a part-time job. They just reduce your weekly payment by however much you earn that week.
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Cass Green
•Right, and you can earn up to a certain amount before they start reducing your benefits. I think it's around $150 or something.
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Aliyah Debovski
•The partial benefit calculation is pretty complicated. They have worksheets on the ESD website that show how they figure it out.
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Ryder Ross
I've been on unemployment twice and both times my benefit amount was different even though I made similar wages. The calculation depends on which quarters they use for your base period so it can vary.
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Ally Tailer
•That's confusing. How do they decide which quarters to use?
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Ryder Ross
•They use the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. So if you file in January they'd look at July-September of the previous year going back.
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Gianni Serpent
honestly the whole system is confusing as hell. took me forever to figure out what I was supposed to get and then they kept changing my benefit amount without explaining why
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Finley Garrett
•That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr to talk to someone at ESD. So much easier than trying to figure it out from their website or automated phone system.
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Gianni Serpent
•might have to look into that if they keep messing with my claim
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Henry Delgado
Make sure you apply as soon as possible after losing your job. Your benefit year starts from when you file the claim, not when you lost your job, so don't wait around.
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Ally Tailer
•I'm planning to file this week. Just wanted to understand what to expect first.
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Henry Delgado
•Good plan. The sooner you file the sooner you can start getting benefits. Even if there are issues with your claim it's better to get the process started.
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Olivia Kay
Your benefit amount will show up in your ESD account once they process your initial claim. Mine took about a week after filing to see the weekly benefit amount listed.
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Kyle Wallace
•Same here. They send you a determination letter that shows your weekly benefit amount and how long you can collect benefits.
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Ally Tailer
•How long do benefits usually last? I'm hoping I can find work pretty quickly but want to know what the timeline is.
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Olivia Kay
•Standard unemployment benefits last up to 26 weeks but it depends on your work history and the unemployment rate in the state.
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Joshua Hellan
Whatever you do, make sure you keep track of your job search activities. Washington ESD requires you to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep records of everything.
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Madison Tipne
•Yeah they're pretty strict about the job search requirements. You have to log everything in WorkSourceWA.
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Ally Tailer
•I haven't heard of WorkSourceWA before. Is that something separate from the ESD website?
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Joshua Hellan
•It's the state job search website. You have to register there and use it to track your job search activities for unemployment.
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Jibriel Kohn
Don't stress too much about the exact amount until you actually file and get your determination. The important thing is getting the claim started and making sure you meet all the requirements to keep getting benefits.
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Ally Tailer
•You're right, I'm probably overthinking it. I should just file and see what happens.
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Edison Estevez
•Exactly! The hardest part is usually just getting through the application process and understanding all the rules they have.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
I remember being surprised that my unemployment was actually higher than I expected based on what people told me I'd get. Every situation is different so don't go by what other people got.
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Holly Lascelles
•That's a good point. I was expecting mine to be really low but it ended up being decent enough to get by while job hunting.
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Ally Tailer
•That makes me feel better. I was worried it would be so low I'd have to find any job immediately.
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James Johnson
Just make sure you read all the paperwork they send you carefully. There are deadlines for appeals and other important stuff that you don't want to miss.
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Aliyah Debovski
•Yes! And keep copies of everything you submit to ESD. I've had documents get lost in their system before.
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James Johnson
•Good advice. I scan everything and keep it in a folder on my computer just in case.
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Sophia Rodriguez
The weekly benefit calculation is just one part of it. You also need to make sure you understand the waiting week requirement and when your benefits actually start.
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Ally Tailer
•What's the waiting week requirement?
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Sophia Rodriguez
•You have to serve one unpaid waiting week before you can start receiving benefits. So even if you're approved right away, the first week is unpaid.
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Mia Green
•I think they got rid of the waiting week during COVID but I'm not sure if it's back now or not.
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Mia Green
My advice is to call ESD directly if you have questions about your specific benefit amount. The general information online helps but every case is a little different.
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Emma Bianchi
•Good luck getting through to them on the phone though. I tried calling for weeks before giving up and just waiting to see what happened with my claim.
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Finley Garrett
•That's exactly why services like Claimyr are so helpful. They handle all the phone calling frustration for you so you can actually talk to someone at ESD when you need to.
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Emma Bianchi
•I might have to try that if I run into problems with my next claim. The phone system at ESD is absolutely terrible.
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Lucas Kowalski
Bottom line - file your claim as soon as you can and don't worry too much about the exact dollar amount until you get your determination letter. The most important thing is getting the process started and making sure you do everything they require to keep getting benefits each week.
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Ally Tailer
•Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I'm going to file my claim tomorrow and just see what happens. This has been really helpful to understand what to expect.
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Lucas Kowalski
•You're welcome! Feel free to post again if you run into any issues with your claim. Lots of people here have been through the process and can help.
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