How much will my Washington ESD unemployment benefit be - confused about calculation

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount using your highest earning quarter from your base period. They take your total earnings from that quarter and divide by 26. So if you made $13,000 in your best quarter, your weekly benefit would be $500. There's also a minimum and maximum amount.

Thanks! How do I know which quarter was my highest? Do I need to calculate this myself or will Washington ESD tell me?

Washington ESD will calculate it automatically when they process your claim. You can see the breakdown in your account once it's processed.

The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington is $999 per week as of 2025. Most people don't hit the max though. Your $52k salary should put you somewhere in the middle range, probably around $400-600 per week depending on how your earnings were distributed throughout the year.

That sounds reasonable. I was hoping it would be closer to what I was making but I know unemployment isn't supposed to replace your full salary.

Yeah it's usually about 50-60% of what you were making. Better than nothing though!

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation because something seems wrong with mine. The automated system just hangs up on me and I can never get through to talk to an actual person. It's so frustrating!

I had the same problem! I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD. They basically call for you and get you connected to an agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Really? That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?

It's way cheaper than losing benefits because you can't get through to fix problems. I used it last month and finally got my adjudication issue resolved.

wait so they dont just take your last paycheck amount? i thought it was based on what you were making right before you got laid off

No, that's a common misconception. Washington ESD uses your earnings from the last 4 completed quarters, not your most recent pay. This is called your base period.

that's weird. so if i got a raise recently it wouldn't count towards my unemployment?

Exactly. Only earnings from completed quarters count towards your base period calculation.

I'm getting $742 per week and I made about $65k last year. My highest quarter was around $19,000 so that math checks out with what others are saying about dividing by 26.

That's helpful to know! Sounds like I should expect something in the $500-600 range then.

How long did it take for Washington ESD to calculate your amount? I'm still waiting for mine to show up.

It took about 10 days after I filed my claim for the amount to show up in my account.

DONT COUNT ON GETTING ANYTHING FAST FROM WASHINGTON ESD!!! My claim has been pending for 6 weeks now and I still don't know my benefit amount. The whole system is broken and they don't care about helping people.

6 weeks?! That's terrible. Have you tried calling them?

TRIED CALLING HUNDREDS OF TIMES. Always busy or they hang up on you. This system is a joke.

That's not normal. Most benefit calculations are processed within 1-2 weeks. Sounds like there might be an issue with your claim that needs to be resolved.

The benefit calculator on Washington ESD's website is pretty accurate if you want to estimate your amount before it's officially calculated. You just need your quarterly earnings from the past year.

I didn't know there was a calculator! I'll try to find that on their website.

I tried using that calculator but it was confusing. I couldn't figure out which quarters to use for the base period.

The base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. So if you filed in January 2025, you'd use quarters from January 2024 through September 2024.

Just remember that your benefit amount can change if Washington ESD finds additional wages or if there are any adjustments to your claim. Mine went up by $50 per week after they found wages from a previous employer.

Good to know! I did have two different jobs last year so hopefully they find all my wages.

How did they find the additional wages? Did you have to report them separately?

They found them automatically through their wage database. But it took a few weeks for the system to update everything.

been unemployed for 3 months now and still trying to figure out if my benefit amount is right. every time i call washington esd they give me different information. so frustrating

I had success using Claimyr to get through to someone who could actually help me understand my benefit calculation. Much better than trying to call directly and getting hung up on all the time.

what's claimyr? never heard of it

It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD phone lines. They have a good explanation video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and the website is claimyr.com. Saved me hours of trying to call myself.

Don't forget that you'll also need to pay taxes on your unemployment benefits. Washington doesn't have state income tax but you'll still owe federal taxes on whatever you receive.

Oh I forgot about taxes! Can I have them take taxes out of my weekly payments?

Yes, you can choose to have 10% federal tax withheld when you set up your account or anytime after. It's usually a good idea to avoid a big tax bill later.

I learned this the hard way last year. Owed $2,800 in taxes on my unemployment benefits!

Your benefit amount also depends on whether you're eligible for any dependents allowance. If you have kids under 18, you might get additional money per week.

I don't have any kids but that's good to know for others reading this thread.

How much extra do you get for dependents? I have two kids but I don't think I'm getting any extra money.

It varies based on your benefit amount but it's usually around $25-30 per dependent per week. You need to report your dependents when you file your initial claim.

The whole calculation seems overly complicated to me. Why can't they just give you a percentage of your last paycheck like other states do?

The quarterly system is actually designed to be more fair because it prevents people from gaming the system by getting a temporary high-paying job right before filing for unemployment.

I guess that makes sense. Still seems like there should be an easier way to calculate it.

Make sure to keep track of your benefit amount because Washington ESD sometimes makes mistakes. I caught an error where they calculated my highest quarter wrong and I was missing $100 per week for two months before I got it fixed.

How did you catch the error? I wouldn't even know what to look for.

I kept my pay stubs and added up my quarterly earnings myself. When I compared it to what Washington ESD had on file, there was a big difference.

This is why I always recommend keeping detailed records. Washington ESD's wage database isn't always accurate, especially for smaller employers.

If you're still confused about your benefit calculation, you can request a detailed breakdown from Washington ESD. They'll send you a document that shows exactly how they calculated your weekly amount.

That sounds helpful! How do I request that breakdown?

You can request it through your online account or by calling them. Though good luck getting through on the phone these days.

I tried requesting mine online but couldn't find the option. Ended up having to use one of those callback services to get through to someone who could help.

Just got my benefit determination letter yesterday and my weekly amount is $568. I made $58,000 last year so that seems about right based on what everyone else is saying here.

That's really close to my salary! Thanks for sharing your actual numbers, it helps me know what to expect.

How long did it take from when you filed until you got your determination letter?

About 2 weeks total. No issues with my claim so it went pretty smoothly.

remember that your benefit amount might be different if you have any other income while collecting unemployment. they reduce your benefits dollar for dollar after you earn more than your weekly benefit amount

I'm planning to do some freelance work while I'm unemployed. Will that affect my benefits?

yes you have to report all income when you file your weekly claims. as long as you earn less than your weekly benefit amount you'll still get partial benefits

Be careful with freelance work - make sure you understand the rules about being able and available for work. Too much freelance work can disqualify you.

The benefit calculation is just the first step. Make sure you understand all the other requirements like job search activities and reporting requirements. Missing those can cost you your benefits even if your amount is calculated correctly.

Good point! I should probably start a separate thread about job search requirements once I get my benefit amount figured out.

Yeah the job search stuff is more complicated than the benefit calculation. You need to do 3 job search activities per week and keep detailed records.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much more confident about understanding how my benefits will be calculated now.