How to calculate rate of unemployment - Washington ESD weekly benefit amount confusion

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period, not your total annual income. They take that quarter's earnings, divide by 26, then you get about 60% of that amount as your weekly benefit. So if your highest quarter was like $12,000, that's roughly $461 per week, and 60% would be around $277. But there's also a maximum benefit cap.

The exact formula is: (highest quarter earnings ÷ 26) × 0.6 = weekly benefit amount. But it can't exceed Washington's maximum weekly benefit, which is $999 for 2025. Also can't be less than the minimum which is $295. Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed.

I had the same confusion when I filed! Spent hours trying to reach someone at Washington ESD to explain it. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent who walked me through the calculation. Worth checking out their demo video too: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

Make sure you understand which quarters they're using for your base period. I filed in March 2025 so my base period was October 2023 through September 2024. A lot of people get confused about the timing.

The whole system is confusing on purpose!! They don't want you to understand so you won't know if they're calculating wrong. I bet half the people getting benefits don't even know they're getting shorted.

Did you have any weeks where you worked reduced hours? That can affect your quarterly totals too. Also if you had any periods of unpaid leave or were off work for medical reasons.

i've been trying to figure this out for weeks, my benefit amount seems way too low compared to what I was making. gonna call ESD tomorrow morning

Here's a tip - log into your SecureAccess Washington account and look at the wage detail section. It breaks down your earnings by quarter which makes it easier to see which one was highest.

Used to work at ESD processing these claims. The formula is straightforward but people get confused because they think it's based on annual salary. It's always your highest quarter divided by 26 weeks then multiplied by 0.6. Simple math but the base period concept trips people up.

Check if you had any employers that didn't report your wages correctly. Had a friend who worked for a sketchy company that wasn't paying into the unemployment system properly.

I was in a similar situation and ended up using Claimyr to talk to someone at ESD about my benefit calculation. The agent was able to pull up my account and explain exactly how they got my number. Turns out I was looking at gross vs net wages wrong.

Another thing to consider - if you worked in multiple states during your base period, that can complicate the calculation. Washington ESD might not have access to all your wage records.

The whole unemployment system is so confusing. I spent three hours on the phone yesterday just trying to understand why my benefit amount changed from week to week.

If you're still confused after checking all this stuff, you might need to talk to ESD directly. I know the phones are terrible but sometimes that's the only way to get a real explanation of your specific situation.

Just want to add that your benefit amount stays the same for your entire benefit year unless you have qualifying circumstances for a recalculation. So once you figure out why it's $387, that's what it'll be every week (minus any deductions for part-time work).

Hope you get it figured out! The math should work out once you have the right numbers to plug in. Don't give up if it doesn't make sense at first - these calculations can be tricky.