How to figure unemployment pay calculation in Washington ESD system?
I'm trying to understand how Washington ESD calculates my weekly benefit amount but I'm getting confused by all the formulas. My claim was approved last week but the payment seems lower than I expected. I worked at a restaurant for 18 months making around $2,800/month before I got laid off. When I look at my account it shows a weekly benefit amount but I can't figure out how they came up with that number. Does anyone know how to calculate what your unemployment pay should be? I want to make sure they didn't make an error.
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CosmicCaptain
Washington ESD uses your highest quarter earnings from your base year to calculate benefits. They take your highest quarter, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.385 to get your weekly benefit amount. Your base year is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•Thanks! So if my highest quarter was around $8,400, that would be $8,400 ÷ 26 = $323, then $323 × 0.385 = $124? That's close to what I'm getting.
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CosmicCaptain
•Exactly! That sounds right. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999 so you're well under that limit.
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Giovanni Rossi
I had the same confusion when I first got approved. The Washington ESD monetary determination letter should break down exactly how they calculated your benefits. Did you get that document?
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•I think I got something in the mail but I might have thrown it away thinking it was just confirmation. Is it something I can access online?
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Giovanni Rossi
•Yes! Log into your Washington ESD account, go to 'Claim and Payment Status' and look for 'Monetary Determination' in your documents section.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to verify your calculation, I recently discovered Claimyr at claimyr.com. They help you actually reach an agent without waiting on hold forever. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone about your benefit amount.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•Interesting, I'll check that out. I've tried calling Washington ESD twice and got disconnected both times.
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Dylan Mitchell
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already struggling financially and can't afford to pay for basic help.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
•The video explains it better than I can, but it's designed to help people in exactly your situation get the help they need from Washington ESD.
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Sofia Gutierrez
Restaurant work can be tricky for unemployment calculations because of tip reporting. Make sure all your tips were properly reported on your W-2s, otherwise your benefit calculation might be lower than expected.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•Oh no, I didn't think about that. Some of my tips were cash and might not have been fully reported. Can I fix that now?
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Sofia Gutierrez
•You'd need to contact Washington ESD about correcting wage records, but it's complicated. They use what was actually reported to the state.
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Dmitry Petrov
The calculation seems right based on what you described. Just remember you also have job search requirements - you need to make 3 job contacts per week and keep a log. Don't let that part slip or you could lose benefits.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•Good reminder! I've been applying places but haven't been keeping a formal log. Where do I submit that?
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Dmitry Petrov
•You can use WorkSourceWA.com or keep your own log. Washington ESD might ask to see it during an eligibility review.
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StarSurfer
been getting unemployment for 3 months now and still dont really understand how they calculate it but as long as the money keeps coming im not complaining lol
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CosmicCaptain
•You should understand it though - if there's an error it could cause overpayment issues later that you'd have to pay back.
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StarSurfer
•yeah i guess your right, maybe i should look into it more
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Amara Oluwaseyi
Update: I found my monetary determination letter online and you're all right about the calculation. My highest quarter was $8,650 so ($8,650 ÷ 26) × 0.385 = $128 weekly benefit. The math checks out!
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CosmicCaptain
•Great! Glad you got it figured out. Now just make sure to file your weekly claims on time.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Perfect! It's always good to double-check these things. Washington ESD does make mistakes sometimes.
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Ava Martinez
This is so confusing!! I worked two jobs and have no idea how to figure out what my benefit should be. One was part-time retail and one was gig work through an app. How does that even work with unemployment?
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CosmicCaptain
•The gig work might not count unless you paid into unemployment insurance. Only W-2 wages typically count for Washington ESD benefits.
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Ava Martinez
•What?? So all those hours driving for the app don't count at all? That's crazy!
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Independent contractor work doesn't build UI eligibility. Only traditional employment where your employer pays unemployment taxes.
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Miguel Castro
The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator tool but honestly it's pretty confusing to use. I tried it three times and got different answers each time.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•I couldn't find that calculator - where is it on their site?
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Miguel Castro
•I think it's under 'Before You Apply' but the link might be broken. The site is pretty clunky.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
WASHINGTON ESD MAKES ERRORS ALL THE TIME! I got underpaid for 6 weeks because they miscalculated my base period wages. Had to fight for 2 months to get it corrected. Always double-check their math!
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•How did you get them to fix the error? Did you have to appeal or just call?
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Zainab Abdulrahman
•Had to submit wage records from my employer and call multiple times. Finally got someone who knew what they were doing.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
•This is exactly why services like Claimyr are helpful - they help you actually reach knowledgeable agents instead of getting the runaround.
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Connor Byrne
If you worked in multiple states you might need to file an interstate claim which makes the calculation even more complicated. Washington ESD will coordinate with other states to figure out your wages.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•I only worked in Washington so that shouldn't apply to me, but good to know for others.
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Yara Elias
Don't forget about the waiting week! Your first payable week doesn't get paid until you've completed your waiting period. That confused me when I first started getting benefits.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•Wait, what's a waiting week? I thought I'd get paid for every week I file a claim.
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Yara Elias
•Washington eliminated the waiting week in 2021, so you should get paid for your first eligible week. Some states still have it though.
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QuantumQuasar
The maximum benefit duration is 26 weeks in Washington unless there are federal extensions. Your total benefit amount is your weekly benefit times 26, but you might not use it all if you find work first.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•So with my $128 weekly benefit, my total available would be $128 × 26 = $3,328?
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QuantumQuasar
•Exactly! That's your total benefit year amount, assuming you remain eligible each week.
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Keisha Jackson
I'm a tax preparer and see this confusion every year. Make sure you understand that unemployment benefits are taxable income! You can have taxes withheld or pay quarterly estimates.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•Oh no, I didn't think about taxes. How much should I have withheld?
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Keisha Jackson
•You can choose 10% federal withholding when you file your weekly claims. It's optional but saves you from a big tax bill later.
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Paolo Moretti
If you think there's an error in your benefit calculation, you have the right to appeal the monetary determination. You have 30 days from the date of the notice to file an appeal with Washington ESD.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•Good to know, but it looks like my calculation is correct based on what everyone explained here.
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Amina Diop
Working in restaurants is tough for unemployment because seasonal fluctuations can affect your base period wages. Your highest quarter might be from summer when business was better.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•That makes sense. We were definitely busiest in summer months so that's probably when my highest quarter was.
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Oliver Weber
just want to say this thread was super helpful! i was also confused about my benefit amount and the explanation about highest quarter divided by 26 times 0.385 makes it so much clearer
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CosmicCaptain
•Glad it helped! The formula isn't that complicated once you understand the base period concept.
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Natasha Romanova
Anyone know if overtime hours count differently in the benefit calculation? I worked a lot of OT in my highest quarter.
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CosmicCaptain
•All gross wages count the same - regular hours and overtime are treated equally in the benefit calculation.
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Natasha Romanova
•Thanks! So my OT actually helped boost my benefit amount then.
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NebulaNinja
Remember that if you work part-time while collecting unemployment, your benefits get reduced. Washington ESD has specific rules about how much you can earn before it affects your weekly payment.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•I'm not working right now but that's good to know for the future. How much can you earn before it affects benefits?
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NebulaNinja
•You can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before they start deducting from your unemployment payment.
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Javier Gomez
For anyone still confused about Washington ESD calculations, I used Claimyr last month when I had questions about my benefit amount. The agent explained everything clearly and helped me understand why my payment was what it was. Way better than trying to navigate their website or waiting on hold.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•That sounds really helpful. I might check that out if I have other questions down the road.
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Emma Wilson
•How quickly were you able to get through to someone with that service?
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Javier Gomez
•Pretty fast actually. Way faster than calling Washington ESD directly. The video demo on their site shows exactly how it works.
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