Washington ESD unemployment benefits - are we getting the highest amounts compared to other states?

That's good to know! I wasn't sure if $790 was on the higher end or not. Makes me feel better about the amount.

Yeah the max is $999 but most people don't get that much. It's based on your previous earnings so you have to have been making good money to get close to the max.

That makes sense about the cost of living. I hadn't thought about that factor but you're right that everything is expensive here.

What's the formula they use? I tried to figure out how they calculated my weekly benefit amount but couldn't make sense of it from the Washington ESD website.

It's based on your highest quarter earnings divided by 26, but there are some other factors too. The Washington ESD website has the exact formula but it's pretty confusing to read through.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Finally got my questions answered after using it.

Interesting, I'll check that out. I'm so frustrated with trying to get through on my own.

Wait, you have to pay someone to call Washington ESD for you? That seems ridiculous that we need a third party service just to reach our own unemployment office.

I mean, it's not ideal but it actually worked when nothing else did. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get answers.

Those numbers might be outdated. Washington increased the maximum to $999 recently so we're pretty competitive now.

You might be right, I was looking at 2024 numbers. Things change pretty frequently with these benefit amounts.

I was making about $75,000 per year before I got laid off. The Washington ESD benefit amount is calculated from your highest earning quarter, so if you made more money you'll get a higher weekly amount.

Ah that makes sense. I was only making about $45,000 so $623 is probably right for my income level.

Yeah it's all proportional to what you were earning. The system is actually pretty fair in that regard.

Most states offer 26 weeks as the standard duration, so Washington is pretty typical in that regard. Some states like Florida only offer 12 weeks though, so we're definitely better than some places.

Only 12 weeks in Florida? That's crazy! 26 weeks barely feels like enough time to find a good job.

During recessions they sometimes extend benefits beyond 26 weeks but that's not happening right now. Hopefully you won't need the full 26 weeks anyway.

Hang in there! The job market is definitely tough right now but things will turn around. Are you doing the required job search activities for Washington ESD?

Yeah I'm logging my job searches in the system every week. It's tedious but I don't want to lose my benefits.

Make sure you're applying to jobs that match your skill level. Washington ESD is pretty strict about the suitable work requirements.

True, but when you need the benefits you're glad they're there. I'd rather pay higher taxes and have good unemployment insurance than the opposite.

Fair point. It's definitely better to have the safety net when you need it.

I had similar issues until someone told me about Claimyr. They handle the calling for you and actually get you connected to Washington ESD agents. Worth checking out if you're frustrated with the phone system.

How does that work exactly? Do they just call for you or what?

They have this system that calls Washington ESD repeatedly until they get through, then they conference you in with the agent. Saved me hours of frustration.

That's still pretty good! Top 5 out of 50 states isn't bad at all.

Exactly, we're definitely in good company. Plus the cost of living adjustments make it more reasonable.

Does that ranking factor in state taxes though? Because we don't have state income tax here which effectively makes our benefits worth more.

Good point! The no state income tax definitely makes our benefits more valuable than states with high income taxes.

Keep at it! The benefits give you time to find something good rather than just taking the first thing available.

True, I'm trying to be patient and find something that's actually a good fit rather than just any job.

How much does something like that cost? I'm curious but don't want to spend a fortune just to ask a question.

It's worth it when you consider the time saved. I was spending hours every day trying to get through on my own.

I might try that. I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for three weeks about an issue with my claim.

So true! The benefits are good but the customer service is terrible. You'd think with all the taxes we pay they could staff their phone lines better.

Exactly. The money is there but getting answers to questions is nearly impossible through normal channels.

Where did you find that? I looked on their website but couldn't locate a calculator.

It's buried in their website somewhere. I had to do some digging to find it but it's there.

I'll have to look for that. Would be nice to double-check that my benefit amount is correct.

Good reminder! I forgot about that. Do they take taxes out automatically or do you have to pay quarterly?

You can choose to have federal taxes withheld from your weekly benefits, which I'd recommend. Otherwise you'll owe a big chunk at tax time.

I learned this the hard way last year. Definitely have them withhold taxes if you can afford the slightly lower weekly amount.