How much unemployment will I get if I make $400 a week - Washington ESD benefit calculation
I'm trying to figure out what my weekly benefit amount would be if I become unemployed. I currently make about $400 per week at my retail job and have been working there for about 8 months. Does anyone know how Washington ESD calculates the weekly benefit amount? I've looked at their website but the calculator seems confusing and I'm not sure if I'm entering the right information. Also wondering if there's a minimum amount of time you need to work before you can even qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington?
51 comments
Join the conversation
Natasha Kuznetsova
Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period to calculate benefits. At $400/week you'd be making about $1600/month or roughly $20,800/year. Your weekly benefit amount would probably be somewhere around $200-250 but it depends on your exact earnings history over the past 15 months.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•Thanks! So they look at 15 months of earnings? I haven't been at this job that long though, only about 8 months.
0 coins
Natasha Kuznetsova
•They look at your base period which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. If you haven't worked long enough in your base period, you might not qualify or have a lower benefit amount.
0 coins
Javier Morales
The general rule is your weekly benefit is about 50% of your average weekly wage, but there's a maximum. In 2025 the max weekly benefit in Washington is around $999. Since you make $400/week, you'd likely get around $200/week in benefits, assuming you have enough earnings in your base period to qualify.
0 coins
Emma Anderson
•Wait is it really 50%? I thought it was less than that. My friend got unemployment last year and she said it was way less than half her pay.
0 coins
Javier Morales
•It's approximately 50% but the exact calculation is more complex. There's also a minimum weekly benefit amount that changes each year.
0 coins
Malik Thompson
You need to have earned at least $3,924 in your base period to qualify for the minimum weekly benefit amount. With only 8 months of work history you might be cutting it close. Have you worked anywhere else in the past year and a half?
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•I had a part-time job before this one for about 3 months but it was only like 15 hours a week. Would that count toward the base period earnings?
0 coins
Malik Thompson
•Yes, any W-2 employment counts toward your base period earnings as long as it was reported to Washington ESD by your employer.
0 coins
Isabella Ferreira
I was in a similar situation last year trying to figure out if I qualified. Instead of spending hours on hold with Washington ESD trying to get through to someone, I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. The agent was able to look at my exact earnings and tell me what my benefit amount would be before I even filed.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•That's interesting, I've been dreading trying to call Washington ESD because I heard it takes forever to get through. How much does something like that cost?
0 coins
Isabella Ferreira
•It was worth it for me to get a real answer instead of guessing. Much easier than trying to interpret the benefit calculator on the website.
0 coins
CosmicVoyager
The Washington ESD benefit calculator is terrible! I tried using it when I got laid off and it gave me three different answers depending on how I entered my information. Ended up just filing and waiting to see what they decided.
0 coins
Ravi Kapoor
•Same here! The calculator doesn't explain which quarters it's using or how to figure out your base period dates.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•This is exactly why I'm confused. I don't want to file and then be disappointed if I don't qualify or get way less than I expected.
0 coins
Freya Nielsen
At $400/week you're making about $20,800 annually. In Washington the weekly benefit formula is roughly your highest quarter earnings divided by 26, but there are minimums and maximums. You'd probably get around $200-220/week if you qualify.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•That would actually help a lot if I lose my job. $200/week isn't great but it's better than nothing while I look for work.
0 coins
Omar Mahmoud
•Just remember you have to do job searches every week and report any work you do. It's not just free money, there are requirements.
0 coins
Chloe Harris
Are you planning to quit or do you think you might get laid off? Because if you quit voluntarily you probably won't qualify for unemployment benefits unless it's for good cause.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•No I'm not planning to quit. My manager mentioned they might have to cut hours or lay people off after the holidays so I'm trying to prepare.
0 coins
Chloe Harris
•Good, because voluntary quits usually result in disqualification. Layoffs due to lack of work are typically approved for benefits.
0 coins
Diego Vargas
I make about the same as you and when I was on unemployment in 2024 I got $215/week. But I had been working for over a year at that point. Your benefit amount depends on your total earnings in the base period, not just your current weekly wage.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•That's helpful to know! How long did it take for your claim to get approved? I've heard some people wait weeks.
0 coins
Diego Vargas
•Mine took about 2 weeks to get approved. No issues since it was a clear layoff situation. The waiting week is gone now so you get paid for your first week too.
0 coins
NeonNinja
The key thing is having enough earnings in your base period. Washington ESD looks at the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at July-September 2024, April-June 2024, January-March 2024, and October-December 2023.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•Okay so if I've only been at my current job for 8 months, some of those quarters would have very low earnings or no earnings at all.
0 coins
NeonNinja
•Right, which is why your previous part-time job earnings would matter. Every little bit helps toward meeting the minimum earnings requirement.
0 coins
Anastasia Popov
Don't forget about the job search requirements if you do end up filing. You have to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep records. Washington ESD can audit your job search activities.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•What counts as a job contact? Just applying online or do you have to do more than that?
0 coins
Anastasia Popov
•Applying for jobs, attending job fairs, networking contacts, interviews - they have a list on the WorkSourceWA website of what activities count.
0 coins
Sean Murphy
I tried calling Washington ESD like 20 times last month to ask about my benefit calculation and never got through. The phone system is awful. Finally used one of those callback services and got my questions answered in like 10 minutes.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•Which callback service did you use? I really don't want to spend all day trying to call them.
0 coins
Sean Murphy
•I used Claimyr - they handle the calling for you and connect you to an actual Washington ESD agent. Way better than sitting on hold forever.
0 coins
Zara Khan
Your benefit amount will also depend on whether you have any dependents. If you have qualifying dependents you can get additional money added to your weekly benefit amount.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•I don't have any kids or dependents so that wouldn't apply to me. Just trying to figure out the basic amount I'd get.
0 coins
Luca Ferrari
The Washington ESD website has all this information but it's scattered across different pages and hard to understand. I wish they'd make it clearer how they calculate benefits.
0 coins
Nia Davis
•Agreed! The website is terrible for actually understanding what you'd qualify for. Everything is written in confusing government language.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•Yeah that's why I came here to ask real people instead of trying to decode all that bureaucratic language.
0 coins
Mateo Martinez
If you end up filing for unemployment, make sure you file your weekly claims on time every week. Even if you haven't heard back about your initial claim approval, you still need to file weekly or you can lose those weeks of benefits.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•Good to know! So you file weekly claims even before they approve your initial application?
0 coins
Mateo Martinez
•Yes, you should file your weekly claims starting the week after you file your initial claim. Don't wait for approval or you might miss out on benefit weeks.
0 coins
QuantumQueen
At your income level you'd probably get around $200-230 per week assuming you qualify. The exact amount depends on your earnings history over the past 15 months like others mentioned.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel like I have a better understanding now of what to expect if I do need to file for unemployment.
0 coins
Aisha Rahman
•Good luck! Hopefully you won't need to use this information but it's smart to be prepared.
0 coins
Ethan Wilson
One more thing - if you do get laid off, file for unemployment right away. There's a waiting period and you want to get the process started as soon as possible. Don't wait around hoping to find another job quickly.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•Will definitely keep that in mind. Better to file and not need it than to need it and have delayed getting started.
0 coins
Yuki Sato
The good news is Washington state has pretty decent unemployment benefits compared to some other states. $200+ per week isn't amazing but it's enough to help cover basic expenses while job hunting.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•Yeah it would definitely help with rent and groceries while I look for something new. Hopefully it doesn't come to that but good to know what's available.
0 coins
Carmen Flores
If you want an exact answer, talking to an actual Washington ESD agent is the only way to know for sure. They can look at your specific wage history and tell you exactly what you'd qualify for. But good luck getting through to them on the phone!
0 coins
Andre Dubois
•This is why services like Claimyr exist - because Washington ESD's phone system is basically impossible to navigate on your own.
0 coins
FireflyDreams
•I'm definitely going to look into that if I need to call them. Sounds way easier than trying to get through myself.
0 coins