How to calculate my Washington ESD unemployment benefits amount - confused about the formula

Washington ESD uses what's called your 'base period' which is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed. They take your highest earning quarter from that period and divide by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. There's also a minimum and maximum - right now the max is around $844 per week.

i think theres also some formula about needing to make at least 680 times the state minimum wage or something like that to qualify

Honestly I struggled with this same calculation when I got laid off last year. Spent hours trying to figure it out from Washington ESD's website and still wasn't sure. What really helped was using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to a real person at Washington ESD who could walk me through my specific situation. They have this demo video (https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ) that shows exactly how it works - basically helps you skip the busy signals and get connected to an agent who can explain your exact benefit amount.

Washington ESD's benefit calculator is buried somewhere on their site but it's not very user friendly. The basic formula is: (Highest quarter wages ÷ 26) = Weekly benefit amount. But you also need to meet the minimum hours worked requirement and have sufficient wages in multiple quarters.

ugh this whole system is so confusing!! why cant they just tell you upfront how much youll get instead of making us guess???

Here's what you need for the calculation: 1) Your base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters, 2) Your weekly benefit is your highest quarter wages divided by 26, 3) You can receive benefits for up to 26 weeks typically, 4) Your total benefit year amount is usually 30% of your total base period wages. There are income requirements you have to meet but with $52k annually you should qualify easily.

I went through this same thing 6 months ago. Made about the same as you and ended up getting $634 per week. The tricky part is they use specific calendar quarters not just the last year of work. So depending on when you file it might include different time periods than you expect.

does washington esd send you something that shows the exact calculation or do you just get told the final amount?

The Washington ESD website has improved but it's still not great for explaining this stuff clearly. I remember being just as confused when I first filed. Your $52k salary should definitely qualify you and you'll probably get somewhere in the $550-650 range weekly based on what others with similar incomes have reported.

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD to ask about my benefit calculation for over a week now. The phone lines are always busy and when I do get through I get disconnected. It's so frustrating when you just need someone to explain your specific situation.

Pro tip: if you worked overtime or had bonuses in certain quarters, that can really boost your weekly benefit amount since they use your highest quarter. I had a quarter with a lot of overtime and it bumped me up by almost $100 per week.

washington unemployment system is such a joke... takes forever to get approved then they make you jump through hoops every week just to get your money that you already paid into the system through taxes

Thanks everyone for all the help! This makes way more sense now. I'll wait for my monetary determination and see what the actual numbers are. Sounds like I should qualify for a decent amount based on my earnings last year.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you have any employers who might contest your claim, it could delay your benefits while Washington ESD investigates. Hopefully since you were laid off and didn't quit or get fired it should be straightforward.

i remember when i first calculated mine i thought i was going to get way more than i actually did. the 26 week thing threw me off because i thought it meant 26 weeks worth of my old salary lol

The Washington ESD monetary determination letter is actually pretty detailed once you get it. Shows all your quarterly wages, which quarters they used for the base period, and the exact calculation. Much clearer than trying to figure it out yourself from their website.

Another thing - if you end up getting a part-time job while collecting benefits, Washington ESD has a formula for how that affects your weekly payments. You can usually earn up to a certain amount before they start reducing your benefits.

Used Claimyr myself a few months back when I needed to talk to someone about my benefit calculation. Worth it just to get actual answers instead of guessing from their confusing website. The agent I talked to was able to explain exactly how they got my numbers.

The whole base period thing is confusing but it's actually designed to give you the best possible benefit amount by using your highest earning quarter. Could be worse - some states use different formulas that result in lower payments.

Just wanted to add that if you worked for multiple employers during your base period, Washington ESD will combine all those wages when calculating your benefits. So don't worry if you switched jobs - they'll use the total from all employers.