What are unemployment benefits based on in Washington ESD calculations?

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base year to calculate benefits. The base year is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. So if you filed in January 2025, they'd look at October 2023 through September 2024. Your weekly benefit is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings.

The formula is: (Highest quarter wages) x 0.0385 = Weekly benefit amount. But there's also a minimum of $295/week and maximum of $1019/week for 2025. You also need to have earned at least $7,689 total in your base year to qualify.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to ask about my calculation too. Took me forever on hold. But I found this service called Claimyr that actually got me connected to an agent in like 20 minutes. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's even a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Made getting my questions answered so much easier than calling the regular number.

This is all so confusing! I worked part-time for most of last year and then got a better job in November that paid way more, but I only worked there for like 2 months before getting laid off. Does that mean my benefits will be based on the crappy part-time wages?

The alternate base year uses the last 4 completed quarters instead of the first 4 of the last 5. So if the regular base year doesn't give you enough wages to qualify or gives you a really low benefit amount, Washington ESD will automatically check the alternate base year and use whichever is better for you.

One more question - do they count overtime hours differently? I had a lot of overtime at my last job in the summer.

i hate how they dont explain this stuff clearly when you file. had to figure it all out myself after getting my determination letter

Pro tip: Keep all your pay stubs and W-2s. Sometimes Washington ESD doesn't have complete wage records from your employers and you might need to provide proof of your earnings to get the right benefit amount.

Just went through this whole process myself. The base year thing is confusing but once you understand it, the calculation makes sense. Your $487/week is actually pretty good - means you were earning decent money during your highest quarter.

Anyone know if they ever update the maximum benefit amount? $1019 seems like it hasn't changed in forever.

BTW that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really helped me understand my benefit calculation. The agent was able to walk me through exactly which quarters they used and why my amount was what it was. Much clearer than trying to figure it out from the determination letter alone.

Does anyone know if commission counts toward the wage calculation? I was in sales and made most of my money from commission.

This whole thread has been super helpful! I was wondering why my benefits seemed lower than expected but now I realize it's probably because my highest earning quarter was earlier in my base year when I was making less money.

One thing to remember is that your benefit amount stays the same for the entire benefit year, even if you start earning more money at a new job later. It's locked in based on that initial calculation.

Washington ESD's wage lookup tool is actually pretty helpful for seeing what quarters they have on file for you. You can check it before filing to get an idea of what your benefits might be.

Used Claimyr last month when I had questions about whether my seasonal work would affect my benefit calculation. The agent was really knowledgeable and helped me understand exactly how Washington ESD treats different types of employment. Definitely recommend it if you need specific answers about your situation.

Thanks everyone for explaining this! I feel like I actually understand how my unemployment benefits are calculated now. The base year concept was the missing piece I needed.

For anyone still confused, the key things to remember: 1) Base year is specific quarters, not just your last job, 2) Highest quarter earnings determine your weekly amount, 3) There are minimum and maximum limits, 4) Keep your pay records in case there are discrepancies. Hope this helps!

One last tip - if you think Washington ESD calculated your benefits wrong, you can appeal the determination. You have 30 days from when you receive the letter to file an appeal. Don't wait if you think there's an error!