How much will I receive for unemployment benefits through Washington ESD?

Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $13,500, that would be about $519 per week? That seems reasonable.

yeah that sounds about right, just remember you have to meet the minimum earnings requirement too

That's helpful - I definitely meet those minimums. Is there anywhere on the Washington ESD website where I can see my actual wage history?

Yes, once you file your initial claim you can see your wage history in your SecureAccess Washington account. It shows all the quarters they're using for your base period.

Never heard of that service before. Does it actually work? I've been trying to call ESD for weeks about my adjudication.

It worked great for me. Much better than sitting on hold forever or getting disconnected. Worth checking out their demo to see if it would help your situation.

No, the base period is very specific. It's the first 4 quarters of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. So if you filed in January 2025, they'd look at July 2023 through June 2024, not your most recent work.

omg that's so confusing! why don't they just use the most recent wages??

It's because they need complete quarter data and it takes time for employers to report wages. Using the most recent quarters could mean incomplete data.

Good to know about the part-time work rule. I might pick up some freelance work while I'm looking for a new full-time position.

Just remember to report ALL earnings when you file your weekly claims. Even if it's just $20, you have to report it or you could get an overpayment notice later.

Yes, all wages reported on your W-2 count toward your base period calculation, including bonuses and commissions. If that commission was reported in one specific quarter, it could definitely increase your weekly benefit amount.

Awesome! That commission was about $8,000 so it should really help my benefit calculation.

That's exactly the kind of situation where Claimyr really helps. I was stuck in adjudication for 6 weeks and couldn't get any information until I used their service to actually reach an ESD representative. Finally got my case resolved and received all my back payments.

At this point I'm willing to try anything. This is affecting my ability to pay rent.

hang in there, adjudication is frustrating but they do eventually process everything. took me 8 weeks but i got all my back pay

Thanks for the clear example! That helps me understand the calculation much better.

didn't know there was a minimum, that's good to know for people with lower wages

I don't have dependents but good to know for others reading this thread.

Wait really? I have 2 kids, does that mean I get an extra $50 per week? How do I add that to my claim?

Yes, you need to contact Washington ESD to add your dependents. You'll need to provide documentation like birth certificates or tax returns showing you claimed them as dependents.

That can happen if an employer was late reporting wages or if there was an error. You can request a wage investigation through your ESD account or by calling them. They'll contact the employer to verify the missing wages.

I've tried calling but can never get through. Might need to try that Claimyr service people mentioned earlier.

Good point! So I don't need to worry about my benefit amount changing if I find a job and then lose it again within the same benefit year.

exactly, and you can collect up to 26 weeks of benefits during that benefit year (assuming you meet all the weekly requirements

agreed, they could definitely explain the process better in their initial paperwork

This thread has been super helpful for understanding the calculation. Thanks everyone!