How much unemployment will i get from Washington ESD - weekly benefit amount calculation?
Just got laid off from my warehouse job after 2 years and wondering how much unemployment will i get weekly from Washington ESD. I was making about $22/hour, worked full time. Does anyone know how they calculate the weekly benefit amount? I've heard different things about it being based on your highest earning quarter or something like that. Really need to know what to expect so I can budget while looking for work.
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Genevieve Cavalier
Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your earnings from the highest quarter in your base period. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. They take that quarter's earnings, divide by 26, then you get roughly 3.85% of your average weekly wage. Maximum is currently around $999/week for 2025.
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Zane Hernandez
•So if I made like $11,000 in my best quarter, that would be about $423 divided by 26? That seems confusing.
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Genevieve Cavalier
•Close but not quite right on the math. It's your quarterly earnings divided by 13 (weeks in a quarter), then multiply that by 0.0385. So $11k ÷ 13 = $846 weekly average, times 0.0385 = about $32.57... wait that doesn't seem right either. Let me double check this formula.
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Ethan Scott
The calculation is actually simpler than people make it sound. Washington ESD takes your total wages from all four quarters in your base period, finds your two highest quarters, adds those together and divides by 26. That gives you your weekly benefit amount, subject to the minimum ($295) and maximum ($999 for 2025).
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Lola Perez
•This is wrong information. It's not the two highest quarters. It's based on your single highest quarter only.
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Ethan Scott
•You're absolutely right, my mistake. It IS the single highest quarter, not two quarters combined. Thanks for the correction.
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Nathaniel Stewart
I went through this same calculation nightmare when I got laid off 6 months ago. Spent hours trying to figure out Washington ESD's formula from their website which is confusing as hell. Finally just used Claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent who explained it clearly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how their service works - basically gets you connected to Washington ESD without waiting on hold forever.
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Zane Hernandez
•How much did that cost? I'm already worried about money and don't want to pay for something I should be able to figure out myself.
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Nathaniel Stewart
•It's worth it when you're stressed about money and need answers fast. Way better than spending days trying to get through to Washington ESD on your own.
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Riya Sharma
•I've used Claimyr twice now and it's legit. Gets you to an actual Washington ESD person who can look up your specific wage history and tell you exactly what your weekly amount will be.
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Santiago Diaz
At $22/hour full time you were probably making around $45k annually? Your weekly benefit will likely be somewhere between $400-600 depending on how your earnings were distributed across quarters. The exact amount depends on which quarter had your highest earnings in your base period.
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Zane Hernandez
•Yeah that sounds about right for yearly income. I had some overtime in Q2 last year so that quarter was probably my highest.
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Millie Long
•Don't forget Washington ESD also looks at whether you meet the earnings requirements. You need at least $7,000 in your base period and earnings in at least two quarters.
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KaiEsmeralda
The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator but it's buried deep in their site and not very user-friendly. You input your quarterly wages and it spits out an estimate. Problem is most people don't know their exact quarterly breakdowns.
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Zane Hernandez
•Where exactly is this calculator? I've been all over the Washington ESD site and haven't seen it.
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KaiEsmeralda
•It's under 'Apply for Benefits' then 'Benefit Information' I think? Honestly their website navigation is terrible. Might be easier to just call and ask.
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Debra Bai
•Good luck calling Washington ESD directly lol. I tried for 3 weeks straight and never got through.
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Gabriel Freeman
Most people get shocked by how little unemployment actually pays compared to their regular salary. Even if you qualify for the maximum, it's still way less than working. Plan accordingly.
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Zane Hernandez
•Yeah I'm definitely not expecting it to replace my full income. Just need enough to cover basics while job searching.
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Laura Lopez
•The good news is unemployment benefits aren't taxed... wait no that's wrong, they are taxed. You can have taxes withheld or pay at the end of the year.
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Victoria Brown
I just went through this calculation process last month. Made $24/hour and my weekly benefit came out to $531. But I had worked a lot of overtime in my highest quarter which boosted it up. Your mileage may vary depending on your specific earnings pattern.
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Zane Hernandez
•That's actually pretty decent! Did you have to provide pay stubs or does Washington ESD already have your wage info?
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Victoria Brown
•Washington ESD gets wage reports directly from employers so they already had my earnings history. You might need to provide additional docs if you worked for multiple employers or had gaps.
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Samuel Robinson
Pro tip: if you worked any side gigs or freelance work, that income might not show up in Washington ESD's system automatically. You'd need to report it separately and it could affect your benefit calculation.
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Zane Hernandez
•I did some weekend delivery driving but it was through an app. Do I need to report that?
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Samuel Robinson
•If you got a 1099 for it, yes you should report it. It might actually help increase your benefit amount if it was significant income.
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Camila Castillo
The whole system is designed to be confusing IMO. Like why can't they just tell you upfront what you'll get instead of making you wait until after you file? Other states do this better.
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Brianna Muhammad
•Because Washington ESD is stuck in the stone age with their systems. Half their processes still feel like they're from 1995.
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JaylinCharles
•To be fair, they did upgrade some things during COVID. The online portal is better than it used to be.
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Eloise Kendrick
I tried using one of those online unemployment calculators and it was completely wrong. Off by like $200/week from what I actually got approved for. Don't trust the generic calculators.
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Zane Hernandez
•Which calculator did you use? I want to avoid the bad ones.
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Eloise Kendrick
•It was some random website that claimed to calculate benefits for all states. Stick to Washington ESD's official tools or talk to an actual agent.
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Lucas Schmidt
Remember that your benefit amount also determines how long you can collect. Washington state gives you up to 26 weeks typically, but during high unemployment they sometimes extend it. The weekly amount and duration are separate calculations.
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Zane Hernandez
•26 weeks should be enough time to find something new hopefully. Is there anything that would reduce the number of weeks I can claim?
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Lucas Schmidt
•Not usually, unless you have some kind of disqualification. As long as you meet the work search requirements and keep filing weekly claims you should get the full 26 weeks.
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Freya Collins
When I couldn't get clear answers from Washington ESD's website, I ended up using Claimyr again to speak with someone who could pull up my exact wage history and walk through the calculation step by step. Worth every penny for the peace of mind honestly.
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Zane Hernandez
•How quickly were you able to get connected through Claimyr? I'm impatient and don't want to wait weeks for answers.
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Freya Collins
•Usually same day or next day. Way faster than trying to call Washington ESD directly where you just get busy signals or hung up on.
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LongPeri
Don't forget you'll also need to register with WorkSource Washington for the job search requirement. They don't calculate that into your benefit amount but it's mandatory to keep receiving payments.
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Zane Hernandez
•What exactly do I need to do with WorkSource? Is it just registering or do I have to actively use it?
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LongPeri
•You have to register within a certain timeframe and potentially attend workshops or meetings depending on your situation. It's part of the ongoing eligibility requirements.
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Oscar O'Neil
The benefit amount is just one piece of the puzzle. Make sure you understand all the requirements to keep receiving payments - weekly claims, job search activities, availability for work, etc. It's not just free money while you're unemployed.
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Zane Hernandez
•Yeah I figured there would be hoops to jump through. I'm ready to actively look for work, just need to know what I can expect financially while I search.
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Sara Hellquiem
•The weekly claim filing is pretty straightforward but don't miss a week or you could lose benefits. Set a reminder on your phone.
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Charlee Coleman
If you're still confused after reading all this, honestly just file your claim and Washington ESD will send you a determination letter with your exact weekly benefit amount. Sometimes it's easier to just start the process than try to calculate it perfectly ahead of time.
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Zane Hernandez
•That's probably what I'll end up doing. At least then I'll have the real numbers instead of estimates.
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Liv Park
•Yeah the determination letter breaks everything down clearly - your base period, qualifying wages, weekly benefit amount, and maximum benefits available.
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