Washington ESD unemployment benefits amount after military discharge - how much?

Thanks for the info! So they actually count military pay as wages? That's good to know. Do they factor in BAH and other allowances or just base pay?

They should count all your military wages including allowances that were reported to Washington ESD. Check your military pay statements to see what was subject to unemployment taxes.

That's helpful context. Did you have any issues with the military wage verification process? I'm worried about delays.

Washington ESD has access to military wage records through the Department of Defense so it was pretty smooth for me. Just took a few weeks to process initially.

Interesting, I'll check that out. I've been trying to call Washington ESD but keep getting busy signals or disconnected.

Is this legit? I'm always suspicious of third-party services for government stuff.

Yeah it's legitimate, they just help you get through the phone queue. I was skeptical too but it actually worked and saved me a lot of frustration.

Good to know about the 60% rule. That helps me estimate what I might get.

Wait, I thought it was 50% not 60%? Or is that different for military?

It's calculated differently in Washington. They take your two highest quarters, divide by 2, then multiply by 0.0385 to get your weekly benefit amount. It usually works out to around 60% of your average weekly wage.

Thanks for the heads up. I have my DD-214 but hoping I won't need it if they have automatic access to military records.

Usually they do, but sometimes there are glitches. Better to be prepared.

Yep, I'm keeping track of my applications and using WorkSourceWA to log my activities.

WorkSourceWA is such a pain to use but it's required unfortunately

Agreed, the website is clunky but you have to use it to stay compliant with Washington ESD requirements.

I'm looking into that. The VA mentioned some job training programs but I'm not sure how they interact with unemployment benefits.

You can usually do both as long as you're still available for work. Check with your local WorkSource office for veteran services.

That's encouraging. I'm at about 2 weeks now so hopefully soon.

Mine took 4 weeks but that was because of some wage verification issues. Yours should be faster.

That's the second mention of Claimyr, might be worth checking out.

how much does it cost though?

They focus on the value of getting through to Washington ESD rather than the cost. Check their website for details.

Good reminder, I've been filing every Sunday as required.

Yeah I missed one week early on and it was a hassle to fix

I'll look for that calculator, thanks for the tip.

The calculator is pretty basic but better than nothing for planning purposes

I appreciate that. Trying to be patient and find the right fit rather than just taking anything.

Smart approach. The job market is decent right now so take your time to find something good.

That's the third mention of this service, I'm definitely going to check it out if I have any problems.

Seems like a lot of people have had good experiences with it for reaching Washington ESD

I haven't run into that issue yet but good to know. I updated my address to my current civilian address when I filed.

Yeah that's usually the right approach. Keep your address current with Washington ESD.

I don't have any dependents but good to know for others reading this.

It's like an extra $25 per week per dependent child I think

Thanks for all the support everyone. This thread has been really helpful!

Good luck with your job search! Feel free to update us when you get your first payment.

Thanks Santiago! That range sounds about right based on what others have shared here. Really appreciate the tip about appealing if the calculation seems off - I hadn't thought about that possibility. I'm definitely planning to check out the WorkSource veteran programs too. It's reassuring to hear from someone who went through this recently. How long did it take you to find something that was a good fit after your Air Force experience?

@Santiago Martinez It took me about 4 months to find something that really clicked with my background. I had a couple of offers earlier but they weren t'great fits - either the pay was too low or they didn t'really value the leadership and technical skills I developed in the military. The WorkSource veteran counselor helped me better translate my MOS into civilian job descriptions, which made a huge difference in getting interviews. My advice would be to not get discouraged if the first few interviews don t'pan out - civilian hiring managers sometimes need time to understand what military experience really means. The unemployment benefits definitely took the pressure off so I could be more selective and find the right opportunity rather than just taking anything.

@Santiago Martinez That s'really helpful perspective! Four months sounds reasonable given how different the civilian job market is. I m'trying to stay patient and not just jump at the first offer that comes along. The WorkSource veteran counselor idea is great - I hadn t'thought about getting help with translating my MOS experience into civilian terms. That s'probably one of my biggest challenges right now. It s'good to know the unemployment benefits will give me that breathing room to be selective. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Thank you Faith! That weekly range sounds consistent with what others have mentioned. I really appreciate the tip about keeping detailed job search records from the start - I've been somewhat casual about documentation so I'll tighten that up immediately. I do have a security clearance which is good to hear might be valuable in the Washington area. Are there specific job boards or sites you'd recommend for defense contractor positions? I want to make sure I'm casting a wide enough net in my search.