How to calculate unemployment benefits - Washington ESD weekly benefit amount formula

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter in your base period and divides it by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. Your base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. So if you're filing now in 2025, they'd look at Q1 2024 through Q4 2024. You'll get roughly 50% of your average weekly wage up to the maximum benefit amount.

The formula is pretty straightforward - they take your highest quarter earnings and divide by 26 weeks. So for $18,500, that would be about $711 per week. But there's also a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year, currently around $999 for 2025.

I went through this calculation last year and it was confusing at first. Washington ESD also has a minimum benefit amount - I think it's around $295 per week now. You also need to have earned at least $7,000 in your base period and have wages in at least two quarters to qualify. Have you checked if you meet those basic requirements?

Actually, Washington ESD uses a different method. They take your two highest quarters from your base period, add them together, then divide by 52 to get your weekly benefit amount. The maximum for 2025 is $999 per week. So if your two highest quarters total $30,000, you'd get about $577 weekly.

I think you're all making this more complicated than it needs to be. When I filed last month, Washington ESD just told me what my weekly amount would be after I submitted my application. You don't really need to calculate it yourself beforehand.

Let me clarify the actual Washington ESD formula since there's confusion here. They use your base period wages (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file). They take your highest quarter, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly benefit amount. There's also a minimum of $295 and maximum of $999 for 2025.

OK let me set the record straight because I just went through this process. Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit as follows: Take your total base period wages, divide by 52 weeks, then multiply by 0.0385 (that's 3.85%). The minimum is $295/week and maximum is $999/week for 2025. So if you earned $50,000 in your base period, your weekly benefit would be about $370.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify your benefit calculation, I recently discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helped me actually reach a live agent. They have this demo video (https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ) that shows how it works. I was able to get my exact benefit amount confirmed over the phone instead of guessing.

here's what happened when i calculated mine - i made $15,000 in my highest quarter so $15,000 ÷ 26 = $576 per week. but then i found out washington esd actually uses a different formula that's more complicated. they have something called the alternate base period too if you don't qualify under the regular base period

I'm so confused by all these different formulas. Does Washington ESD have an online calculator or something? Their website is impossible to navigate.

Just to add to what others said - your weekly benefit amount stays the same for your entire benefit year, which is 52 weeks from when you first file. You can collect up to 26 weeks of benefits during that year. So if you get $576/week, your total potential benefits would be $576 × 26 = $14,976.

The reason everyone's getting different answers is because Washington changed their formula a few years ago and there's outdated info floating around. The current method is: (Total base period wages ÷ 52) × 0.0385 = weekly benefit amount, subject to the min/max limits.

Just wanted to add - don't forget that your weekly benefit amount also depends on whether you have any dependents. Washington ESD adds money for dependent children under certain circumstances.

Has anyone actually verified this 0.0385 multiplier? That seems like such a random number and I can't find it anywhere on the Washington ESD website.

UGH the whole system is so complicated!! I've been trying to figure this out for weeks and every time I think I understand it, I find another rule or exception. Why can't Washington ESD just have a simple calculator on their website that does this for you??

This is exactly why I hate dealing with government agencies. Why can't they just put a simple calculator on their website like other states do?

Quick question - does the calculation change if you're on standby status versus regular unemployment? I'm temporarily laid off but expect to be called back.

I used Claimyr when I needed to ask Washington ESD about my benefit calculation and it was actually helpful. The agent was able to look up my wage history and walk me through exactly how they got my weekly amount. Much better than trying to figure it out myself from the confusing info on their website.

For what it's worth, my benefit amount came out to exactly what the formula predicted when I used the (total base period wages ÷ 52) × 0.0385 calculation. So it does seem accurate.

One more thing to remember - your benefit duration is separate from the weekly amount calculation. You can get up to 26 weeks of benefits in Washington if you qualify.

I'm bookmarking this thread because this is the most clear explanation I've found anywhere online. Thanks everyone for working through the confusion!

For what it's worth, I think Washington ESD's calculation is pretty straightforward once you understand it. Take your highest quarter wages, divide by 26, and that's your weekly amount (up to the max). The hard part is just figuring out which quarters count as your base period.

i had a similar situation where i switched jobs and my wages went up. washington esd used my highest quarter which was great because it was from my new job. ended up getting $623/week instead of what would have been like $400 if they averaged everything

One thing to watch out for - if you had any weeks where you didn't work or took unpaid leave, that can affect your quarterly totals. Washington ESD looks at actual wages paid, not what you were supposed to earn. I learned this the hard way when I took 2 weeks unpaid leave and it dropped my highest quarter below what I expected.

Does anyone know if overtime pay counts toward the calculation? I had a lot of overtime in Q3 of last year and I'm hoping that helps boost my benefit amount.

This is all really helpful info. I've been putting off filing because I wasn't sure what to expect financially. Sounds like based on my wages I should get a decent amount to help cover bills while I job search.

I tried using that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it actually worked great. Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in like 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They were able to pull up my wage history and give me an exact calculation on the spot.

Just wanted to add that Washington ESD also has a minimum earnings requirement in your highest quarter. I think you need at least $1,400 in wages in your highest quarter to qualify for benefits. Based on your income levels you should be fine but worth mentioning.

The whole calculation thing stressed me out too but honestly once you file, Washington ESD sends you a letter that breaks down exactly how they calculated your benefit amount. It shows your quarterly wages and explains the math step by step.

make sure you have your SSN and all employer info ready when you file. washington esd will need to verify wages with each employer and that can take time if the info isn't correct

One last thing - remember that your unemployment benefits are taxable income. Washington ESD can withhold taxes from your weekly payments if you want, or you can pay quarterly estimated taxes. Just something to factor into your budgeting.

Based on everything discussed here, it sounds like Washington ESD uses the formula: (Total base period wages ÷ 52) × 0.0385 = weekly benefit amount. So for your situation Austin, you'd need to add up all your wages from Q1-Q4 2024 (your base period), divide by 52, then multiply by 0.0385. With your tech job paying $4,200/month for most of that period, you should qualify for a decent weekly amount, probably somewhere in the $400-600 range depending on your exact totals. The maximum is $999/week for 2025, so you won't hit the cap, but you should get enough to help with expenses while job searching.