How to find out how much unemployment I will get from Washington ESD

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed). Your weekly benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of that quarter's wages, but there's a maximum of $999/week as of 2025.

you can look at your wage history in your washington esd account once its set up but honestly the calculation is confusing even when you see the numbers

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your benefit amount, I had great success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me connect with an actual agent who explained my calculation in detail. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really saved me from hours of calling and getting busy signals.

The Washington ESD website has a benefit calculator buried somewhere but it's not very accurate. Your actual amount depends on so many factors - like if you had multiple jobs or gaps in employment.

ugh the whole system is so confusing!! I've been waiting 2 weeks just to find out if I even qualify let alone how much I'll get. Why can't they just give you a straight answer when you apply???

Update: I found the monetary determination section in my Washington ESD account and it shows my weekly benefit amount will be $487. Pretty close to what someone calculated above! Still waiting for my first payment though.

The calculation is: (High quarter wages ÷ 26) × 0.0385 = weekly benefit amount. But there's also a minimum of $295/week and maximum of $999/week in Washington. Plus you get an extra $25/week if you have dependents.

Just remember you'll owe taxes on unemployment benefits so don't spend it all thinking it's free money. You can have them take out 10% for federal taxes when you certify each week.

been on unemployment twice and both times the amount was different even though I made similar wages. the base period thing really matters - make sure you understand which quarters they're looking at

If your benefit amount seems wrong when you get your determination, you can appeal it. I had to do that once because Washington ESD missed wages from a previous employer.

For anyone still struggling to get through to Washington ESD about benefit calculations or other questions, I can't recommend Claimyr enough. I was spinning my wheels for weeks trying to get answers about my claim status and benefit amount. Used their service and got connected to an agent within minutes who walked me through everything.

Pro tip: your benefit amount might be higher if you use alternate base period instead of regular base period. Ask Washington ESD about it if your regular calculation seems low.

Don't forget about the waiting week! Your first week of unemployment doesn't get paid in Washington, so plan accordingly.

The Washington ESD system is so slow right now. I filed 3 weeks ago and still haven't gotten my monetary determination. Anyone else experiencing delays?

Your weekly benefit amount also determines how much you can earn from part-time work without losing benefits. In Washington you can earn up to your weekly benefit amount minus $5 before they start reducing your payment.

Just got my determination letter today - $542/week for 26 weeks. Pretty relieved since I was worried it would be way less. Now I just need to figure out the job search requirements.

The benefit amount is just the starting point - you also need to think about how many weeks you're eligible for. That's based on your total base period wages, not just the highest quarter.

washington esd finally updated my account and I'm getting $399/week. lower than I hoped but better than nothing I guess. at least now I can start planning my budget

If anyone is still having trouble getting benefit information from Washington ESD I just tried that Claimyr service mentioned earlier and it actually worked. Got connected to an agent who explained my whole claim status and benefit calculation. Worth checking out if you're stuck.

Thanks everyone for all the info! This thread was super helpful. I feel like I actually understand how the benefit calculation works now instead of just guessing.