Washington ESD unemployment benefit amount 2024 - how much is unemployment?

Washington ESD maximum weekly benefit for 2024 is $999 per week. Your benefit amount is calculated using your highest quarter earnings from your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). They take your highest quarter, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly benefit amount. With your income level, you'd likely qualify for close to the maximum.

Thanks! So with $4,200 monthly that's about $12,600 quarterly, which should put me at or near the max. That's actually better than I expected.

Just remember you still have to pay federal taxes on unemployment benefits, so factor that in when budgeting.

The calculation is actually a bit more complex. Washington ESD looks at your two highest quarters in your base period. They add those together, divide by 2, then multiply by 0.0385. The minimum weekly benefit is $295 and maximum is $999 for 2024. You can get up to 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits.

You're right about the two highest quarters - I misstated that. Thanks for the correction!

So they average my two best quarters? That still should put me pretty high up there benefit-wise.

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation and it's impossible. Their phone lines are always busy and the online calculator seems broken. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr.com - they actually got me through to a Washington ESD agent in about 20 minutes. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Interesting, I'll check that out. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get answers about my claim.

wait is $999 per week really the max?? that seems like a lot compared to other states

Washington has one of the higher maximum benefits in the country. It's adjusted annually based on the state's average weekly wage.

dang no wonder everyone moves here lol

Just to clarify - the $999 maximum is for regular unemployment insurance (UI). If you're on standby status through your employer, the calculation might be different. Also, if you have any part-time work while collecting, they'll reduce your weekly benefit dollar for dollar after the first $5.

Good point about part-time work. I was thinking about doing some freelance consulting while on unemployment.

Make sure you report all earnings when you file your weekly claims. Washington ESD is pretty strict about that.

The benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website should give you an estimate based on your wages. You'll need your earnings from the last 15 months or so. It's under the 'Calculate Weekly Benefit' section.

That calculator hasn't worked for me - keeps giving error messages when I try to submit my wage info.

Yeah, the website can be glitchy. That's probably why calling is still the best option for complex questions.

I'm getting $847 per week and I was making about $85k annually. The calculation worked out pretty much as expected based on my quarterly earnings. Just make sure all your employers properly reported your wages to Washington ESD.

That's helpful context. How do I check if my wages were reported correctly?

You can see your wage history in your eServices account on the Washington ESD website. It shows quarterly earnings by employer.

Don't forget you have to actively search for work to keep getting benefits. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and you might get audited. Keep detailed records of your job search efforts.

What counts as a job search activity? Just applying for jobs?

Applications, networking events, career fairs, informational interviews, even updating your LinkedIn profile. Check the WorkSourceWA website for the full list.

Also worth noting - if you quit your job you probably won't qualify for unemployment. You generally need to be laid off or terminated for non-misconduct reasons. There are some exceptions but they're pretty narrow.

I'm anticipating a layoff, not quitting. My company has been doing rounds of cuts all year.

In that case you should be fine as long as it's not for cause. Make sure you get documentation of the layoff.

The benefit amount is just one part of it. You also need to think about health insurance. If you're getting COBRA, unemployment might not cover all your expenses even at the maximum benefit level.

True, I hadn't factored in COBRA costs. That could be $600+ per month.

Exactly. Sometimes the math doesn't work out as well as it seems initially.

I had to call Washington ESD multiple times to get my benefit amount corrected because they missed wages from one of my employers. The automated system kept hanging up on me after 2+ hours on hold. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and got through immediately. Worth every penny to avoid the phone nightmare.

How much did it cost? I'm desperate enough to pay at this point.

I don't want to quote prices since they might change, but it was reasonable for the time it saved me. Check their website for current rates.

Here's something most people don't know - if you work part-time while collecting unemployment, Washington ESD has a 'partial benefit' calculation. You can still get some unemployment as long as your part-time earnings don't exceed your weekly benefit amount plus $5.

That's actually really helpful since I was planning to do some consulting work. So I could make up to about $1004 per week total?

Roughly, yes. But you need to report all earnings when you file your weekly claim. They'll reduce your unemployment benefit by the amount you earned minus $5.

be careful about the tax implications too. unemployment benefits are taxable income and they don't automatically withhold federal taxes. you can request withholding but a lot of people get surprised at tax time

Good point. I should probably set aside money for taxes or request withholding.

yeah definitely request the withholding if you can afford the slightly lower weekly payment. saves headaches later

The Washington ESD benefit amounts are adjusted every year based on average wage data. So the $999 maximum for 2024 was higher than 2023. It's one of the better aspects of Washington's unemployment system compared to other states.

What was the maximum in 2023? Just curious how much it increased.

I believe it was around $929 in 2023, so about a $70 increase for 2024.

If you're in tech and making $4200/month, you'll probably max out the benefit. But remember unemployment is temporary - start job searching immediately even if the benefits seem decent. The job market changes fast.

Absolutely. I'm already updating my resume and LinkedIn profile in preparation.

Smart approach. The earlier you start networking the better, especially in tech.

One more thing - make sure you understand the difference between your 'base period' and 'alternate base period.' If your recent wages weren't reported yet, you might qualify for higher benefits using the alternate base period calculation.

I've been at my current job for 8 months so hopefully all my wages are in the system already.

Should be fine then. The base period is usually well-established after 8 months of employment.

Just wanted to add - I used Claimyr last month when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my benefit calculation. They connected me to an agent who walked through my entire wage history and explained exactly how they calculated my weekly amount. Much better than trying to figure it out from the website.

Was the agent able to make changes to your benefit amount during that call?

Yes, they corrected missing wages from a previous employer and recalculated my benefits on the spot. Saved me weeks of back-and-forth.

The bottom line is with your income level, you'll likely get close to or at the maximum $999 per week. That's $3,996 per month before taxes, which should cover most people's basic expenses. Just remember to file your weekly claims on time and keep up with the job search requirements.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed info! This gives me a much better idea of what to expect if I do end up filing for unemployment.

Good luck! Hope you don't need it but at least you're prepared with the information.