How to calculate unemployment benefits amount in Washington ESD?

So if my highest quarter was like $8,000 total from both jobs, that would be around $300 divided by 26 times 0.0385? That seems like a really small amount.

Actually, let me correct that calculation - you take $8,000 divided by 26 to get about $308, then multiply by 0.0385 to get roughly $12 per week. That doesn't sound right. Let me double-check the Washington ESD formula.

I think you mixed up the formula. It's actually highest quarter divided by 26, but then there's a percentage applied differently. The weekly benefit is usually around 60-70% of your average weekly wage during your highest quarter.

Wait, so it's divided by 13 weeks, not 26? I'm getting really confused with all these different numbers people are giving me.

You're right to be confused - I should have been clearer. A quarter is 13 weeks, so they divide your highest quarter earnings by 13 to get your average weekly wage during that quarter. Then they calculate your benefit as a percentage of that weekly wage.

That actually makes sense! So it's based on just one quarter, not the whole year? I had a really good quarter last spring with overtime.

Exactly, just your highest quarter. The overtime would definitely help bump up your benefit amount.

What's Claimyr? Is that some kind of service that helps you call Washington ESD? I've been trying to get through to them for days.

Yeah, it's a service that helps you actually reach a human at Washington ESD. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much time trying to get through their phone system.

I had the same problem calling Washington ESD until someone told me about claimyr.com. It's a service that gets you through to actual agents. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Really? That sounds too good to be true but I'm desperate at this point.

I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Got through to someone at Washington ESD in under 10 minutes to clarify my benefit calculation.

That's correct, the maximum is $999 per week in 2025. You'd need to have earned about $25,974 in your highest quarter to max out.

Wow that's a lot higher than I expected the max to be. Good to know there's a ceiling though.

Oh I hadn't thought about the eligibility requirements. I should be fine since I worked consistently for 2 years.

Yeah the eligibility part trips people up sometimes, especially if they had gaps in employment or seasonal work.

I agree it's not intuitive. The quarterly system is designed to base benefits on your recent work history rather than just your last job's wages.

Still seems unnecessarily complicated to me but whatever I guess that's government for you

That makes sense. So they're not looking at my most recent work, but the quarters before that? What if I just started working recently?

If you don't have enough earnings in your base period, they might use an alternate base period which includes more recent quarters. But you need to have worked and earned wages during the base period to qualify for benefits.

This is exactly why I had to call Washington ESD - I had a weird work history with gaps and couldn't figure out which quarters they'd use. The rep was able to pull up my wage records and explain everything in like 5 minutes.

Yes, bonuses count as wages for that quarter as long as they were subject to unemployment taxes. Check your pay stubs to see if they deducted state unemployment tax.

Great, that should help my calculation then. Thanks for the info!

I guess you're right, but I wanted to have some idea of what to expect before I file. Bills don't wait, you know?

I totally get wanting to know ahead of time. When I was laid off I was panicking about how much I'd get. Turns out I qualified for about $400 a week which was way more than I calculated on my own.

$14,200 × 0.0385 = $546.70, so yes you calculated correctly! That's before taxes though.

Perfect, thanks for double checking my math. That amount will definitely help while I'm job hunting.

Yeah I read about the job search requirements. Three job contacts per week minimum right?

yep and you gotta keep records of everything in case they audit you

I don't think that's right either. I'm pretty sure they only use your single highest quarter, not two quarters added together. This is getting really confusing with all the different explanations.

You might be right. Honestly, all these calculations are making my head spin. Maybe we should just tell people to call Washington ESD directly for the accurate info.

Finally, someone who seems to know what they're talking about! So with my rough numbers, if I made about $8,000 in my highest quarter, I'd get around $308 per week?

That sounds about right. $8,000 x 0.0385 = $308. That would be your weekly benefit amount assuming you're fully unemployed and meet all the other requirements.

This is the first explanation that actually makes sense. Thank you for clearing that up!

I tried it after seeing your comment and actually got through! The agent explained my whole benefit calculation and even told me about a wage issue I didn't know about.

That's awesome! It's such a relief to actually talk to someone who knows what they're doing instead of guessing.

That's called an interstate claim. If you don't have enough Washington wages, they can combine wages from other states where you worked.

yeah thats it! takes longer to process though from what i heard

It's a common misconception that it's based on your annual salary. The quarterly system can definitely result in surprises, both good and bad.

At least now I know how to budget properly. Thanks everyone for explaining this stuff.

Oh great, something else to worry about. I didn't even think about taxes on unemployment benefits.

Yeah, learned that the hard way my first time filing. Better to have them withhold taxes than get hit with a big bill later.

That's so frustrating! I had a similar experience trying to get information from them. The phone system is terrible and when you do get through, they barely help.

This is exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier. I was having the same problem getting through to anyone who could actually help. At least with their service I could actually talk to someone who knew what they were doing.

I've been trying to call them for days but can never get through. The phone system is awful.

Same here. I've probably tried calling 50 times and either get busy signals or get disconnected after waiting on hold forever.

I guess that's what I'll have to do. I was just hoping to get some idea ahead of time.

It's really not that complicated once you get the determination letter. They break it all down for you and show exactly how they calculated your benefit amount.

How do you know if they reported your wages correctly? Is there a way to check that?

You can request your wage records from Washington ESD, but good luck getting through to them by phone. Might be easier to just wait and see what shows up on your claim.

That's good to know. I was worried they might only count one job or something. How long did it take you to get through to them?

Honestly, I probably called 100 times over two weeks before I got through to a human. Their phone system is beyond frustrating.

This is why services like Claimyr exist. Sometimes you just need to actually talk to someone instead of getting stuck in phone hell.

I'm not planning to work while collecting, but good to know. The whole system seems really complicated.

It is complicated, but once you get through the initial filing process it gets easier. The hardest part is just getting accurate information upfront.

Yeah, that seems to be the consensus. File first, figure it out later. Not ideal but I guess that's how it works.

You can choose to have federal taxes withheld (10%) when you file your weekly claims, or you can pay quarterly/annually. Washington state doesn't tax unemployment benefits.

good to know, ill probably have them take it out so i dont get hit with a big bill later

Good luck! Make sure you have all your employer information ready and file as soon as possible since benefits don't start until you actually file.

Will do! I've got all my employer details and separation info ready to go.

Good point. I might do some freelance work while job hunting so I'll need to report that.

Yeah they have a specific formula for how part-time earnings reduce your weekly benefit. Better to be accurate than risk an overpayment later.

That's why it's crucial to keep detailed records of all job search activities. Washington ESD can audit claims up to 6 years after payment.

yeah she learned that the hard way. now she keeps everything in a spreadsheet

You're welcome! That multiplier is based on the assumption you'll be unemployed for 26 weeks, so your highest quarter × 0.0385 × 26 roughly equals your total benefit year maximum.

Ah that makes the math make more sense. Thanks for the additional context!

If you file in January 2025, your base period would typically be October 2023 through September 2024 (the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters).

Got it, so they don't count the most recent quarter. That's important to know when timing when to file.

That's a good point. My situation is pretty straightforward but I can see how it would get complicated with multiple employers or gaps.

Exactly. The general formula works for most people but there are always edge cases that need human interpretation.

Washington eliminated the waiting week in 2020. Benefits start with your first week of unemployment as long as you file your weekly claim on time.

awesome, thats one less thing to worry about when budgeting

Agreed! Everyone here really helped break it down into understandable pieces.

Happy to help! The Washington ESD system can be confusing but once you understand the basics it makes more sense.

Totally agree! I've been lurking here trying to understand my own benefit calculation and this thread has been incredibly helpful. The step-by-step breakdown with actual examples really makes the difference. Government websites are usually so hard to navigate and understand.

I'm new here but this thread really saved me! I've been stressing about my unemployment calculation for weeks and couldn't make sense of the Washington ESD website. The formula everyone explained (highest quarter × 0.0385) is so much clearer than anything I found online. Just did my math and I should get around $420/week which will help a lot while I job hunt. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge!