How to determine how much unemployment I will get from Washington ESD

So if I made $12,600 in my highest quarter, that would be about $485 per week? That seems higher than I expected.

Actually, let me correct that formula. It's your highest quarter divided by 26, then they multiply by 0.0385. So $12,600 ÷ 26 = $484.62 weekly wage, then $484.62 × 0.0385 = about $18.66. That doesn't sound right either...

Wait, I thought it was just the highest quarter divided by something? This is getting confusing.

I may be mixing up the old formula with the current one. The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator but it's not always accurate.

Never heard of Claimyr - is that like a calling service or something?

Yeah, it's at claimyr.com. They help you get through Washington ESD's phone system when it's impossible to reach anyone. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me time instead of calling hundreds of times.

Good to know about the cap. I definitely wasn't making enough to hit the maximum.

Those amounts seem high compared to what I got last year. Are you sure about the 2025 numbers?

I double-checked on the Washington ESD website yesterday. The amounts change every year based on average wages in the state.

I know they'll calculate it but I wanted to get an idea beforehand for budgeting purposes.

That's smart planning. Better to know what to expect than be surprised.

OK so if my two highest quarters were $12,600 each, that's $25,200 total. Divided by 52 = $484.62 average weekly wage. Then $484.62 × 0.0385 = $18.66 weekly benefit? That can't be right.

I think you meant multiply by 0.385 not 0.0385. That would give you about $186 per week which sounds more reasonable.

You're absolutely right - it's 38.5% not 3.85%. So $484.62 × 0.385 = $186.58 weekly benefit amount.

Two weeks isn't bad. Mine took almost a month because they had to verify my wages with my employer.

That's frustrating. Did you end up calling them or just waiting it out?

I tried calling for weeks but could never get through. Wish I had known about that Claimyr thing back then.

I don't have any dependents so that won't apply to me, but good to know for others reading this.

How much extra do you get for dependents? I have two kids.

I think it's around $25 per dependent per week but don't quote me on that. The Washington ESD website should have the exact amounts.

I feel your pain. The phone system is absolutely terrible.

This is exactly why I started using Claimyr. Gets you right through to an agent instead of dealing with that awful phone maze.

Never heard of it but at this point I'll try anything to get some answers.

How do I check if my wages were reported correctly?

You can view your wage and benefit statement online through your Washington ESD account once you file your claim. It shows all the wages employers reported for each quarter.

What happens if the wages are wrong? Can you get them corrected?

Yes, you can appeal or request a wage review if there are errors. Washington ESD will contact the employer to verify the correct wages.

What was your income level if you don't mind me asking? Trying to see if $267 makes sense.

I was making about $3,400 per month so sounds like you might get a bit more than I did.

That's really helpful! So I need to look at my wages from about a year ago, not my most recent paychecks.

Exactly. That's why some people are surprised when their benefit amount seems low compared to their current income.

Right, especially if you got a raise or promotion recently. The base period wages might be from when you were earning less.

Good to know! My wages were pretty consistent though so probably won't need that.

The alternate base period saved me when I had been unemployed for part of the standard base period. Made a huge difference in my benefit amount.

I tried using their benefit calculator and it kept giving me error messages.

This is another reason why talking to an actual person is so much better. They can pull up your exact wage records and give you the real numbers instead of trying to guess with broken calculators.

So someone with higher wages would get more money per week but potentially fewer weeks of benefits?

Not exactly - the duration is based on your total base period wages. Higher earners usually qualify for close to the full 26 weeks since they have substantial wage history.

I only qualified for 12 weeks because I hadn't worked very long before getting laid off. The whole system is based on your work history.

That's smart. I'll dig up my old pay stubs this weekend before I file my claim.

Also keep your W-2s handy in case there are any wage disputes. Documentation is key.

I only had one employer during that time so should be straightforward for me.

Lucky you! I had three different jobs and it took forever to get all the wages sorted out correctly.

Yeah multiple employers definitely complicates things. Each one has to report wages separately to Washington ESD.

Good luck with your claim! Hope it goes smoothly for you.

If you run into any issues getting through to Washington ESD for questions, remember that Claimyr option. Saved me a lot of headaches.

Will definitely keep that in mind. Thanks again everyone!