How to figure unemployment benefits calculation in Washington ESD system?

Washington ESD uses your highest quarter from your base year to calculate benefits. They take that quarter's wages, divide by 26, then multiply by about 0.385 to get your weekly benefit amount. Your base year is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, your base year would be October 2023 through September 2024.

The calculation can be confusing but there's also a maximum weekly benefit amount that changes each year. For 2025 I think it's around $999 per week, so even if your calculation comes out higher, you won't get more than the max.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to verify your calculation, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helps people get through to ESD agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to speak with someone about your benefit calculation.

Make sure you're looking at the right wages too. Sometimes people get confused because W-2 wages and unemployment wages can be different if you had things like tips, bonuses, or other compensation that ESD doesn't count.

ugh this whole system is so confusing!! why cant they just pay everyone the same amount and make it simple

There's also something called an alternate base year if you don't qualify using the regular base year. This uses more recent wages if your regular base year doesn't give you enough qualifying wages.

I had the same confusion when I first filed. What helped me was looking at my quarterly wage statements that employers send to ESD. You can see exactly what wages they reported for each quarter.

Just remember there's also a minimum you need to earn to qualify at all. I think it's around $3,800 in your base year, with at least $2,400 in your highest quarter.

The monetary determination letter explains everything but honestly it's written in such bureaucratic language that it's hard to understand. I wish they'd make it more user-friendly.

I remember when I was trying to understand my calculation, I spent hours on the ESD website trying to find clear information. Ended up having to call them multiple times before getting someone who could explain it properly.

Don't forget that your weekly benefit amount also affects how much you can earn from part-time work before they reduce your benefits. It's not a simple cutoff either - they have this sliding scale.

What really helped me was making a simple spreadsheet with my wages from each quarter and doing the calculation myself. Then I could compare it to what ESD calculated.

Been through this process twice now and both times my calculation was different even though I thought I understood the formula. There are apparently some adjustments they make that aren't obvious.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr to get through to an ESD agent when I had questions about my benefit calculation. Much easier than trying to decode everything myself or waiting hours on hold.

The timing of when you file also matters because it determines which quarters they look at. If you wait too long to file, you might miss out on higher-earning quarters.

One thing that confused me was that my employer reported my wages differently than what I expected. Make sure to check that the wage information ESD has matches your records.

If you find an error in your wage calculation, you can appeal it. The process isn't too complicated but you need to provide documentation to support your claim.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful explanations! I feel like I have a much better understanding now of how Washington ESD calculates benefits. Going to check my account again with this new knowledge.