How much will my first unemployment check be from Washington ESD?

Your weekly benefit amount is based on your earnings from your base period, which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. Washington ESD takes your highest quarter earnings and divides by 26 to get your weekly amount. With $52k annual salary, you're probably looking at around $350-450 per week depending on when you worked those quarters.

The determination letter should show your exact weekly benefit amount. Look for 'Weekly Benefit Amount' on the first page. That's what you'll get each week if you're eligible for the full amount.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask questions about your benefit calculation, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach a human agent. They have this system that calls for you and gets you connected. Here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Made it so much easier than trying to call myself and getting busy signals.

Just remember your first payment might be delayed if you have a waiting week. Washington ESD requires most people to serve one waiting week before benefits start, so your first payable week might not be your first week of unemployment.

The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington for 2025 is $999, and minimum is around $295. Your $394 falls right in the normal range. You'll also want to keep track of your total benefit year amount - that's usually 26 times your weekly amount, so you'd have about $10,244 total available over your benefit year.

make sure you understand the job search requirements too. you have to apply for at least 3 jobs per week and keep records. washington esd is pretty strict about this now

One thing to watch for - if you worked part-time or had reduced hours in any quarter during your base period, that could affect your weekly amount calculation. Washington ESD uses a specific formula that looks at all your covered wages.

Don't forget you need to file your weekly claims every week to get paid, even if you haven't found work yet. You can do it online through your SecureAccess Washington account. The system usually opens Sunday morning for the previous week.

I've been on unemployment for 6 weeks now and still can't get through to Washington ESD when I have questions. That Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier actually worked for me - took about 20 minutes but I finally talked to a real person who could explain my benefit calculation.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIDICULOUS. You work for years paying into unemployment insurance and then when you need it they make it impossible to get information or reach anyone. At least the online weekly claims work most of the time.

Quick question - does your $394 include the dependent allowance if you have kids? Washington adds extra for dependents.

Remember to save some money for taxes if you don't elect withholding. Unemployment benefits are taxable income federally. I learned this the hard way last year.

If your benefit amount seems wrong, you can appeal the determination. You have 30 days from the date on your letter. But $394 sounds reasonable for your salary level.

Just to follow up on the Claimyr thing - I used it again this week to ask about my job search log requirements and it was super helpful. The agent walked me through exactly what documentation I need to keep. Sometimes it's worth it to actually talk to someone instead of guessing from the website.

One last thing - make sure you report any income from side gigs or part-time work when you file your weekly claims. Washington ESD will find out eventually and you don't want an overpayment situation.