What are current Washington ESD unemployment benefit amounts in 2025?
I'm trying to figure out how much unemployment is paying right now in Washington state. I've been out of work for two weeks and just got my first payment but want to make sure it's correct. My gross weekly earnings were around $1,200 before I got laid off from my warehouse job. The Washington ESD website has all these calculations but I can't make sense of them. Is there a simple way to know what I should be getting? Also does anyone know if they've increased the maximum benefit amount this year?
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Tate Jensen
Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. For 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $999 and minimum is $295. Your benefit is roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages divided by 52, but capped at the maximum. With $1,200 weekly earnings you might be eligible for close to the max depending on how long you worked at that rate.
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Marcelle Drum
•Thanks! I worked at that rate for about 8 months before getting laid off. So I should be getting close to $999 per week then?
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Tate Jensen
•Possibly, but it depends on your total earnings in all four quarters of your base period. Washington ESD looks at the highest quarter but also requires minimum earnings in other quarters for eligibility.
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Adaline Wong
i think its around $850 max right now but dont quote me on that. i got $743 a week when i was on unemployment last year and i was making about $1100 weekly before
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Tate Jensen
•The maximum was increased to $999 for 2025. It gets adjusted annually based on the state's average weekly wage.
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Adaline Wong
•oh wow that's a decent bump from last year then
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Gabriel Ruiz
I've been struggling to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation. Every time I call I either get disconnected or sit on hold for hours. Has anyone found a better way to reach them? I need to verify my quarterly earnings because I think there might be an error.
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Misterclamation Skyblue
•I actually found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. It saved me from spending hours on hold when I needed to fix my earnings record.
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Gabriel Ruiz
•That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost and is it legit?
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Misterclamation Skyblue
•It's totally legitimate - they just automate the calling process so you don't have to sit there hitting redial all day. Way better than the frustration of never getting through on your own.
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Peyton Clarke
The benefit amount also depends on whether you're receiving regular UI or if you qualified for any extended benefits. Are you sure you're getting standard unemployment and not some other program? Sometimes people get confused between different benefit types.
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Marcelle Drum
•Pretty sure it's regular unemployment. I got laid off due to company downsizing, filed through the Washington ESD website, and have been doing my weekly claims.
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Peyton Clarke
•Sounds like regular UI then. Just make sure you're reporting any work or income on your weekly claims to avoid overpayment issues later.
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Vince Eh
WASHINGTON ESD IS TERRIBLE WITH THEIR CALCULATIONS!! I got screwed over because they didn't count all my wages from my second job. Took me 3 months to get it fixed and get my back pay. Make sure you double check everything they send you!
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Sophia Gabriel
•What did you have to do to get it corrected? I think I'm in a similar situation where they missed some of my earnings.
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Vince Eh
•Had to gather all my pay stubs and tax documents then file an appeal. Took forever but eventually got the higher benefit amount and all the back pay I was owed.
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Tate Jensen
For anyone wanting to calculate their potential benefit, Washington ESD uses this formula: Take your two highest quarters of earnings in your base period, add them together, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385. That gives you your weekly benefit amount up to the $999 maximum. You also need at least $1,685 in wages outside your highest quarter to qualify.
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Marcelle Drum
•This is super helpful! I'm going to dig up my old pay stubs and try to calculate it myself.
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Tobias Lancaster
•Wait, I thought it was just the highest quarter divided by 26? This formula is different than what I remember.
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Tate Jensen
•Washington changed their calculation method in recent years. It's now based on the two highest quarters, not just one, which generally results in higher benefits for most people.
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Adaline Wong
also dont forget about the federal taxes they take out if you elect to have them withheld. i always forget about that and wonder why my deposit is smaller than expected
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Marcelle Drum
•Good point! I did elect to have taxes withheld so that explains why my payment seemed lower than I calculated.
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Ezra Beard
•Smart to have taxes withheld. I didn't do it last time and owed a bunch at tax time.
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Statiia Aarssizan
My cousin works at Washington ESD and she said they're swamped with benefit calculations right now because of all the layoffs in tech and retail. If your benefit amount seems wrong, definitely get it checked out but be prepared for long wait times.
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Gabriel Ruiz
•That explains why I can't get through! I'm going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier.
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Statiia Aarssizan
•Yeah the call volume is insane right now. Any service that can help you actually reach someone would be worth it.
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Reginald Blackwell
Is the $999 maximum the same statewide or does it vary by county? I'm in Seattle and cost of living is way higher here than eastern Washington.
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Tate Jensen
•It's the same statewide. Washington ESD sets one maximum benefit amount for the entire state, unlike some states that have regional variations.
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Reginald Blackwell
•That seems unfair given how much more expensive it is to live in King County versus rural areas.
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Aria Khan
Just wanted to add that if you had multiple jobs or were self-employed part of the time, make sure Washington ESD has all your wage information. I had to submit additional documentation because one of my employers didn't report wages correctly to the state.
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Marcelle Drum
•How do you know if they have all your wage info? Is there a way to check on the website?
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Aria Khan
•You can see your wage history in your eServices account on the Washington ESD website. If something looks missing, you'll need to contact them with documentation.
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Everett Tutum
Been on unemployment for 6 weeks now and still haven't figured out exactly how they calculated my benefit amount. Got $847 per week but based on my salary I expected more. The monetary determination letter they sent was confusing as hell.
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Sunny Wang
•I had the same issue! Used Claimyr to actually get through to someone at Washington ESD who walked me through the calculation. Turns out they were missing one quarter of my earnings and I got an increase to $901 per week plus back pay.
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Everett Tutum
•Wow that's a significant difference! I definitely need to get my calculation reviewed then.
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Hugh Intensity
fyi the benefit year is important too. if you filed your initial claim more than a year ago you might need to file a new claim to get current benefit amounts
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Marcelle Drum
•I just filed my initial claim three weeks ago so I should be good on that front.
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Effie Alexander
Does anyone know if Washington state unemployment benefits are taxable? I keep getting different answers and want to make sure I'm handling it correctly.
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Tate Jensen
•Yes, unemployment benefits are taxable income at both federal and state level in Washington... wait, Washington doesn't have state income tax, so just federal. You'll get a 1099-G form at the end of the year.
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Effie Alexander
•Thanks! I forgot Washington doesn't have state income tax. That makes it simpler.
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Melissa Lin
The key thing is making sure your base period wages are correct. I appealed my benefit calculation and ended up getting an extra $150 per week because they had the wrong information from one of my previous employers. Worth checking if you think something's off.
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Lydia Santiago
•How long did the appeal process take? I'm thinking about appealing mine but don't want to lose benefits while it's being reviewed.
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Melissa Lin
•About 6 weeks total but I kept receiving my original benefit amount during the appeal. Once approved I got all the back pay for the difference.
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Romeo Quest
just remember you have to actively look for work and document it to keep getting benefits. the job search requirements are strict and they do audit people randomly
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Marcelle Drum
•Yes, I've been keeping track of all my job applications and contacts. Three work search activities per week minimum.
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Val Rossi
•Smart. I know someone who got disqualified for not having proper documentation of their job search activities.
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Eve Freeman
One more thing - if you're getting partial unemployment because you're working reduced hours, the benefit calculation is different. They deduct a portion of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount.
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Marcelle Drum
•Not applicable to me since I'm fully unemployed, but good info for others who might be reading this.
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Clarissa Flair
Bottom line: $999 is the max weekly benefit in Washington for 2025, but most people don't get the full amount. Your actual benefit depends on your earnings history during the base period. If the calculation seems wrong, don't hesitate to question it and get it reviewed.
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Marcelle Drum
•Perfect summary! I feel much more informed now about how the system works. Going to review my monetary determination letter more carefully.
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Misterclamation Skyblue
•And if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about your calculation, definitely consider using Claimyr to get through. Way less frustrating than trying to call on your own.
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