What does unemployment pay in Washington - confused about benefit amounts

Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from the past year to calculate your weekly benefit amount. The maximum is $999/week as of 2025, but most people get way less than that. Your benefit is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings divided by 13 weeks. So if you made $8,000 in your best quarter, you'd get around $237/week.

Washington unemployment benefits are calculated using your highest earning quarter from your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters). The weekly benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of that highest quarter, but there's a minimum of $295 and maximum of $999 per week as of 2025. Part-time work definitely counts toward your base period wages.

I just went through this process and it took forever to get anyone on the phone at Washington ESD to explain my benefit calculation. The online system shows your weekly amount but doesn't break down how they got there.

the calculation is confusing but basically they take your best quarter and divide by 13 or something like that. i got $445 a week when i was laid off last year

The weekly benefit amount is just part of it though. You also need to think about the maximum duration - Washington gives you up to 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits. So if you get $300/week, that's potentially $7,800 total over 6 months.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to check my benefit calculation. Their phone lines are always busy and the online system doesn't always show the breakdown clearly. I ended up using Claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent who explained exactly how my benefits were calculated. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

Just remember you have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits. Washington ESD will send you a 1099-G at the end of the year and you'll owe federal taxes on whatever you received. A lot of people forget about this and get surprised at tax time.

The Washington ESD benefit calculator is pretty accurate if you can find it buried on their website somewhere. You need your quarterly wages from the last 5 quarters to get a good estimate. Also remember that unemployment is taxable income so you might want to have taxes withheld.

been on unemployment twice and the amount varies SO much depending on your work history. first time i got like $200/week, second time got $650. really depends on how much you made in that base period they use

Also keep in mind you have to do the job search requirements every week. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and you have to log them in your WorkSourceWA account. Don't skip this or they'll stop your benefits.

One thing to keep in mind is that Washington has some of the higher unemployment benefits in the country. The $999 maximum is pretty generous compared to other states. You'll also get an additional $25 per week if you're in approved training programs.

One more thing about the benefit calculation - if you worked in multiple states, you might want to check if filing in a different state would give you a higher benefit amount. Washington has pretty decent benefits compared to some states, but it's worth checking.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE YOU! I spent HOURS trying to figure out my benefit amount and Washington ESD kept giving me different numbers every time I called. Finally got someone who actually knew what they were talking about after calling like 20 times.

also remember you can work part time and still collect some unemployment as long as you report your hours and wages. they reduce your benefit but you dont lose it completely

For what it's worth, I used Claimyr when I had questions about my benefit calculation and they got me through to someone at Washington ESD who could actually explain the math. Saved me weeks of trying to call on my own.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for MONTHS about my benefit amount and they just keep giving me the runaround. Half the time the phone system hangs up on you before you even get in the queue.

Quick question - does anyone know if you get paid for the waiting week anymore? I thought they eliminated that during COVID but I'm not sure if it's still gone.

This is all really helpful! It sounds like I should definitely apply and see what happens. Even if it's just a couple hundred a week, that would help a lot with my situation.

Don't forget about the WorkSource registration requirement too. You have to register with WorkSource within 4 weeks of filing your claim or they'll make you ineligible. It's separate from the weekly job search logging.

If you run into any issues with your application or need clarification on your benefit amount, seriously consider using a service like Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD. I wasted so much time trying to call on my own.

Don't forget about the waiting week! Your first week of unemployment won't be paid even if you're approved. Plan accordingly.

honestly the hardest part isnt figuring out how much you get, its actually getting approved and then staying compliant with all their rules. job search logs, weekly claims, responding to any requests for info

The key thing to remember is that Washington unemployment benefits are meant to replace about 50% of your average weekly wages, up to the maximum. So if you were making $400/week, you might get around $200 in unemployment benefits.

Applied last month and got $523/week. Process was pretty smooth once I got all my employment info together. Just make sure you have accurate dates and employer information.

Whatever you do, dont give up if they deny you initially! I got denied the first time for some stupid technicality and had to appeal. Won the appeal and got all my back pay.

For anyone still struggling to get answers from Washington ESD directly, I really can't recommend Claimyr enough. It saved me weeks of frustration trying to understand my benefit calculation and resolve issues with my claim.

Also worth mentioning that your benefit amount can change if Washington ESD discovers additional wages or if you start working while collecting. Always report any changes immediately.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! I feel much more confident about applying now. Going to gather up all my employment records and submit my application this week.

one last tip - set up direct deposit if you can. getting checks in the mail takes forever and sometimes they get lost. direct deposit is way more reliable

hope it all works out for you! unemployment really helped me get through that rough patch last year. its not forever but its something

I got disqualified initially because Washington ESD said I quit my job voluntarily, even though I was clearly laid off. Had to appeal and it took 8 weeks to get it sorted out. Make sure you're really clear about your reason for separation when you file.

Just to add to the tax discussion - if you're getting other income like severance pay or pension payments, that might affect your weekly benefit amount. Washington ESD has specific rules about how they handle other income.

For anyone who's confused about the benefit calculation, Washington ESD has a benefit estimator tool on their website. It's not 100% accurate but gives you a ballpark figure before you file.

One thing that caught me off guard was that you can't just collect unemployment indefinitely while being picky about jobs. Washington ESD expects you to expand your job search over time and eventually accept suitable work even if it pays less than your previous job.

Also remember that if you do any part-time or gig work while collecting unemployment, you have to report those earnings on your weekly claim. They'll reduce your benefit amount based on how much you earned, but you can still collect partial benefits.

The whole system is confusing but once you get your first payment it becomes more routine. The hardest part is the initial application and waiting for approval. After that it's just filing your weekly claims and doing your job searches.

One last tip - if you run into any issues with your claim or need to speak with someone at Washington ESD about your benefits, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work. Much easier than trying to navigate their phone system on your own.