How much wages to qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington ESD?
I'm trying to figure out if I made enough money last year to qualify for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD. I worked part-time at two different jobs for most of 2024 but wasn't making great money. Does anyone know what the minimum wage requirements are? I think I made around $8,000 total but I'm not sure if that's enough. I heard there's some kind of formula they use but I can't find clear info on the Washington ESD website.
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Jasmine Quinn
The wage requirement in Washington is based on your highest quarter earnings during your base period. You need to have earned at least $4,840 in your highest quarter AND have total base period wages of at least 1.5 times your highest quarter. So if your highest quarter was $2,500, you'd need at least $3,750 total. With $8,000 spread across the year, you might qualify depending on how it was distributed.
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Victoria Charity
•That's really helpful! I think my best quarter was probably around $2,800 so I should be okay. Do they look at gross wages or net wages?
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Jasmine Quinn
•They use gross wages, so before taxes and deductions. You should be fine with those numbers.
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Oscar Murphy
wait i thought you needed way more than that to qualify?? i made like $15k last year and barely qualified
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Jasmine Quinn
•It depends on how your wages were distributed across quarters. If you made $15k but it was mostly in one quarter, you'd easily qualify. If it was spread evenly, you might have issues with the quarterly requirement.
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Oscar Murphy
•ohhhh that makes sense. mine was pretty even so that explains it
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Nora Bennett
I had trouble figuring this out too when I applied. Washington ESD looks at your base period which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at January-December 2024. The monetary determination letter will show exactly how much you earned in each quarter and whether you qualify.
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Victoria Charity
•When do you get that letter? I filed my claim yesterday but haven't heard anything yet.
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Nora Bennett
•Usually within a week of filing your initial claim. If you don't get it or have questions about the wage calculation, you might need to call Washington ESD but good luck getting through.
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Ryan Andre
•Actually, if you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and their website is claimyr.com. It was way easier than spending hours trying to call myself.
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Lauren Zeb
The wage requirements change every year too. For 2025 claims, you need at least $5,265 in your highest quarter OR total base period wages of at least $7,897. The $4,840 number mentioned earlier might be outdated.
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Victoria Charity
•Oh no, now I'm worried I don't qualify! Where did you find the 2025 numbers?
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Jasmine Quinn
•I think those numbers might be wrong. The Washington ESD website still shows the standard formula - 680 times the state minimum wage for the highest quarter requirement.
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Lauren Zeb
•You're right, I was looking at old info. The current minimum wage in WA is $16.28 so 680 times that would be about $11,070 for the highest quarter, which seems way too high.
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Daniel Washington
this is so confusing why cant they just make it simple like you worked you get money
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Aurora Lacasse
•Right?? I spent like 3 hours trying to figure this out when I got laid off
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Victoria Charity
•I know, it shouldn't be this complicated to understand if you qualify
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Jasmine Quinn
Let me clarify the actual current requirements since there's some confusion. For claims filed in 2025, you need EITHER: 1) At least $3,400 in your highest quarter of the base period, OR 2) Total base period wages of at least $5,265. You also need wages in at least two quarters of your base period. These amounts are updated annually based on the state average weekly wage.
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Victoria Charity
•Thank you! That's much clearer. With $8,000 total and working two jobs, I should definitely qualify then.
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Anthony Young
•Where do you find the official current numbers? I keep seeing different amounts posted online
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Jasmine Quinn
•The Washington ESD handbook has the current year requirements, or you can call them directly to confirm. Though calling can be a nightmare.
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Charlotte White
I qualified with way less than $8000 so you should be fine. The bigger issue is usually having wages in multiple quarters, not the total amount.
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Victoria Charity
•Good to know! I worked both jobs pretty consistently through 2024 so I should have wages in all four quarters.
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Admin_Masters
•Yeah same here, I qualified with around $6500 total but it was spread across three quarters
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Matthew Sanchez
Just remember they also look at the reason you're unemployed. You could meet all the wage requirements but still get denied if they determine you quit without good cause or were fired for misconduct.
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Victoria Charity
•I got laid off from both jobs due to slow business, so hopefully that won't be an issue
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Matthew Sanchez
•Layoffs are usually straightforward for qualification. You should be good!
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Ryan Andre
If you do run into issues with your monetary determination or need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your wage calculation, I really recommend trying Claimyr. I was stuck for weeks trying to get answers about my base period wages and they helped me get through to an actual person who could explain everything.
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Ella Thompson
•How much does that cost? I'm already broke waiting for my claim to process
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Ryan Andre
•It's worth checking out their website at claimyr.com for details. For me it was way cheaper than taking time off work to keep calling Washington ESD over and over.
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JacksonHarris
The base period thing is so important and people always miss it. If you just started working in late 2024, your base period might not include enough quarters to qualify even if you're making good money now.
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Victoria Charity
•I've been working since early 2024 so that shouldn't be a problem for me
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Jeremiah Brown
•What happens if you don't have enough quarters in the regular base period?
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JacksonHarris
•They can use an alternate base period which looks at the most recent four quarters, but you have to request it specifically
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Royal_GM_Mark
I'm dealing with this same thing right now! Filed my claim last week and still haven't gotten my monetary determination letter. Getting anxious about whether I'll qualify.
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Victoria Charity
•Same here! I filed yesterday so hopefully we'll both hear something soon
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Amelia Cartwright
•It usually takes 7-10 business days for the monetary determination. If it's taking longer than that, there might be an issue with your wage records
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Chris King
Pro tip: if you worked for small employers or had cash jobs, make sure Washington ESD has all your wage records. Sometimes employers don't report properly and you might qualify if they get the missing wages added.
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Victoria Charity
•Both my jobs were regular W2 positions so hopefully that won't be an issue
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Rachel Clark
•You can check your wage records online through your SecureAccess Washington account before you even apply
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Zachary Hughes
Washington's wage requirements are actually pretty reasonable compared to other states. $8000 should definitely qualify you as long as it wasn't all earned in just one quarter.
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Victoria Charity
•That's reassuring! I was worried it might not be enough but sounds like I should be okay
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Mia Alvarez
•Yeah WA is pretty generous with unemployment compared to places like Florida or Texas
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Carter Holmes
The weekly benefit amount is what really matters anyway. Even if you qualify, if your wages were low your weekly benefit might not be much. It's based on your average weekly wage during your highest quarter.
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Victoria Charity
•Do you know what the minimum weekly benefit amount is in Washington?
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Carter Holmes
•I think it's around $295 per week minimum, but don't quote me on that. The maximum is over $900 though.
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Jasmine Quinn
•The minimum weekly benefit amount in Washington for 2025 is $304. Maximum is $999.
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Sophia Long
Just make sure you apply as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. You can't get benefits for weeks before you file your claim, even if you were eligible.
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Victoria Charity
•Good point! I filed the day after I got laid off so I should be okay there
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Angelica Smith
If anyone's still having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about wage requirements or check their claim status, I had success with Claimyr recently. They have a system that calls until they get through and then connects you. Saved me hours of frustration.
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Logan Greenburg
•Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true
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Angelica Smith
•Yeah it's real, you can watch their demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ to see how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Charlotte Jones
Bottom line - if you worked consistently and made $8000 across multiple quarters, you almost certainly qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington. The system is designed to help workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own.
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Victoria Charity
•Thanks everyone for all the help! Feeling much more confident about my claim now
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Lucas Bey
•Good luck with your claim! Hope it processes quickly for you
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