How to estimate unemployment benefits before filing with Washington ESD?

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the last 18 months as the base. They take that amount, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly benefit. There's also a minimum of $295/week and maximum of $999/week for 2025. Your part-time work might actually help if those quarters were higher than your recent earnings.

the formula is confusing but basically washington esd looks at your last 4 quarters before you file and picks the highest one. if you made decent money in that quarter you should be fine

I had similar situation last year and couldn't get through to anyone at Washington ESD to ask questions before filing. Spent weeks calling and either got busy signals or hung up on after waiting forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me actually talk to someone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to get basic info about my potential benefits.

The exact calculation is: (Highest quarter wages ÷ 26) × 0.0385 = Weekly Benefit Amount. But you also need to check if you qualify at all. You need at least 680 hours of work in your base year OR earnings of at least $3,850 in your base year. The part-time work should count toward both requirements.

washington esd website has some info about this but its buried somewhere in their FAQ section. honestly easier to just file and see what happens. took me like 20 minutes online

I'm in almost the exact same boat - part time work for about a year after getting laid off. Filed last month and got approved for $380/week. My highest quarter was around $9,800 so that math checks out with what others posted here. The job search requirements are pretty manageable too.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE PEOPLE! Why can't they just have a simple calculator on their website like other states do? Everything with Washington ESD is unnecessarily complicated.

Quick tip: if you're still employed part-time, make sure you understand how working while claiming affects your benefits. You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount before they start reducing your UI payment. So if you get $400/week in benefits, you can earn up to $400 in wages that week and still get your full benefit.

does anyone know if overtime pay counts differently in the calculation? i had a lot of OT in my highest quarter

Another thing to consider is that your benefit year is 52 weeks from when you file, but you can only collect for 26 weeks maximum. So timing can matter if you think you might need benefits again later. Just something to think about with your part-time situation.

honestly just go ahead and file. worst case they say no and you're back where you started. best case you get several hundred a week to help with bills

make sure you have all your employer info ready when you file. they want dates, addresses, reason for leaving, etc. for every job in the last 18 months

One more thing - even if your estimated benefit seems low, remember you might qualify for other programs too. Food assistance, utility help, etc. Every little bit helps when you're between jobs.

Final reminder about the math: if your calculation gives you less than $295, you'll get $295 (the minimum). If it's over $999, you'll get $999 (the maximum). Most people fall somewhere in between. With your work history it sounds like you'll be fine.

I used Claimyr too when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my benefit calculation. They got me connected within a few hours and the agent was able to give me the exact amount before I filed. Definitely worth it if you want to know for sure before starting the process.