How much will I get for unemployment benefits in Washington - confused about calculation
I just got laid off from my warehouse job last week and I'm trying to figure out how much my unemployment benefits will be. I was making $22/hour working about 35-40 hours a week for the past 8 months. Before that I had a different job for like 6 months making less money. I've never filed for unemployment before and the Washington ESD website is confusing me with all the base period stuff and calculations. Does anyone know roughly what I should expect? I need to know if this will even cover my rent while I look for work.
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Paolo Longo
Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter during your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). They take that quarter's earnings, divide by 26, then you get roughly 50% of your average weekly wage up to the maximum. For 2025, the max weekly benefit is around $999.
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Keisha Johnson
•So if I made like $12,000 in my best quarter, that would be about $460 a week, so maybe $230 in benefits? That's not gonna cover much...
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Paolo Longo
•That sounds about right for the calculation. Remember you also need to meet the minimum earnings requirement - you need at least $3,719 in your base period and earnings in at least 2 quarters.
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CosmicCowboy
The Washington ESD benefit calculator on their website can give you a better estimate if you have your wage information handy. You'll need your total earnings for each quarter in your base period. Since you were working consistently, you should qualify.
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Keisha Johnson
•I tried using that calculator but I don't have all my pay stubs organized. Is there another way to get my wage history?
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CosmicCowboy
•When you file your claim, Washington ESD will request your wage information from your employers. You can also check your Social Security statement online for annual earnings.
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Amina Diallo
honestly the whole system is set up to confuse people and pay out as little as possible. i was making decent money and my benefits barely covered groceries. don't expect much
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Oliver Schulz
•While the amount might seem low, it's designed to be temporary assistance while job searching. The 50% replacement rate is standard across most states.
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Amina Diallo
•temporary? lol ive been looking for 4 months and still cant find anything that pays what i was making before
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Natasha Orlova
Had similar situation last year - if you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check your benefit amount or get help with the calculation, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me actually reach someone. They have this system that calls for you and gets you connected to an agent. Check out claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.
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Keisha Johnson
•Never heard of that before. Does it actually work? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days and can't get through.
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Natasha Orlova
•Yeah it worked for me. Saved me hours of calling and getting disconnected. Worth it just to get someone on the phone who can explain your specific situation.
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Javier Cruz
•I used Claimyr too when my claim was stuck in adjudication. Got through to an agent same day and they cleared up the issue with my benefit calculation.
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Emma Wilson
Just remember you also have to factor in any taxes that might be withheld. Washington doesn't have state income tax but you can choose to have federal taxes taken out of your benefits. Otherwise you'll owe at tax time.
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Keisha Johnson
•Oh crap I didn't think about taxes. Should I have them take it out or just save money for next year?
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Emma Wilson
•Depends on your situation. If you're not good at saving, have them withhold 10% federal. If you find work quickly you might not owe much anyway.
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Malik Thomas
The base period thing is what screws people up. Make sure you understand which quarters they're looking at. If your recent job paid way better than your old job, you might want to wait and file later to get a higher base period if you're eligible.
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Paolo Longo
•This is important - if your recent higher-paying job wasn't included in your base period, you might be able to request an alternate base period that includes more recent earnings.
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Keisha Johnson
•How do I know which quarters are included? This is all so confusing.
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Paolo Longo
•If you file now in January 2025, your base period would be April 2023 through March 2024. If your higher paying job started after March 2024, it won't count unless you request the alternate base period.
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NeonNebula
Also don't forget about the job search requirements. You'll need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log. Washington ESD is pretty strict about this now.
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Keisha Johnson
•What counts as a job search contact? Just applying online or do I need to do more?
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NeonNebula
•Online applications count, but also networking contacts, job fairs, contacting employers directly, even some training activities. Keep detailed records with dates and contact info.
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Isabella Costa
were u working full time at the warehouse? if you were part time that might affect your benefit calculation too. they look at your availability and ability to work
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Keisha Johnson
•I was working 35-40 hours consistently, so basically full time. Should I be okay?
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Isabella Costa
•yeah that should be fine. just make sure when you file you indicate youre available for full time work
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Oliver Schulz
The benefit amount might seem low but remember it's tax-free income replacement. Also look into other assistance programs like SNAP if your benefits don't cover all your needs. Washington has decent safety net programs.
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Keisha Johnson
•Wait, unemployment benefits are tax-free? I thought the other person said they take taxes out.
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Oliver Schulz
•Sorry, I misspoke. Unemployment benefits ARE taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld or pay when you file your return.
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Ravi Malhotra
File as soon as possible! There's a waiting week but benefits are retroactive to when you first became unemployed if you're eligible. Don't wait around trying to figure out the exact amount - just get the claim started.
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Keisha Johnson
•Good point. I'll start the application today. Can I change information later if I get something wrong?
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Ravi Malhotra
•Minor corrections can usually be made but major changes might require reopening your claim. Better to be as accurate as possible from the start.
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Freya Christensen
i been on unemployment for 6 months now and honestly the amount varies each week depending on if you work any part time hours. if you make over a certain amount they reduce your benefits for that week
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Keisha Johnson
•How much can you make before they reduce benefits? I might pick up some gig work while looking for full time.
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Freya Christensen
•i think its like 1/4 of your weekly benefit amount but not sure exactly. you have to report any work on your weekly claim
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Omar Farouk
The hardest part isn't figuring out the amount - it's actually getting through to Washington ESD when you have questions or problems. I spent weeks trying to reach someone about my benefit calculation. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and got connected to an agent who walked me through everything.
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Keisha Johnson
•Seems like a lot of people are recommending Claimyr. Is it expensive?
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Omar Farouk
•Worth every penny when you consider the alternative is spending hours on hold or never getting through at all. Saved me so much frustration.
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Chloe Davis
Make sure you understand the difference between your weekly benefit amount and your maximum benefit amount. The weekly is what you get each week, but there's also a limit on total benefits for your benefit year.
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Keisha Johnson
•What's the maximum total I can receive?
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Chloe Davis
•It's usually 26 times your weekly benefit amount, but it also can't exceed 30% of your base period wages. Whichever is lower.
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AstroAlpha
honestly just file the claim and see what happens. all this speculation won't help until washington esd actually processes your application and tells you your benefit amount
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Keisha Johnson
•True, I'm probably overthinking this. Just worried about whether it'll be enough to live on.
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AstroAlpha
•thats totally understandable but you wont know until you know. at least get the process started
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Diego Chavez
One thing to watch out for - if you had any vacation pay or severance from your warehouse job, that might affect when your benefits start. Washington ESD considers that as wages for the week it covers.
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Keisha Johnson
•I did get paid for like 3 days of unused vacation time. Will that delay my benefits?
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Diego Chavez
•It might push back when you're eligible to receive benefits for those days. Make sure you report it accurately when you file.
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Anastasia Smirnova
Don't forget you can also look into WorkSource services while you're collecting. They have job search resources and sometimes training programs that can help you find better paying work.
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Keisha Johnson
•Is WorkSource separate from Washington ESD or connected?
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Anastasia Smirnova
•They work together. WorkSource handles the job search and training side, Washington ESD handles the benefit payments. You'll probably need to register with WorkSource as part of your claim.
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Sean O'Brien
The benefit amount calculation can be confusing but remember it's based on your past earnings, so if you were making decent money at the warehouse you should get a reasonable amount. Just file and see what they determine.
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Keisha Johnson
•Thanks everyone for all the help. I'm going to file today and see what happens.
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Sean O'Brien
•Good luck! The process seems overwhelming at first but once you get started it's not too bad.
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Zara Shah
If your claim gets stuck in adjudication or you have trouble reaching Washington ESD about your benefit amount, definitely consider using Claimyr. I was skeptical at first but it really works for getting through to an actual person who can help.
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Keisha Johnson
•I'll keep that in mind if I run into problems. Hopefully the filing process goes smoothly.
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Zara Shah
•It usually does for straightforward cases like yours. Good luck with the job search too!
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