What is Washington ESD unemployment pay based on - confused about benefit calculation

That makes more sense! So it's not based on my current part-time wages but my highest earning quarter from when I had the full-time job?

Exactly. The base period looks back at your work history, not just your most recent job. That's why your benefit amount might be higher than what you were making part-time.

No, the base period only looks at the most recent 5 quarters. So wages from 2 years ago wouldn't count unless you're filing an alternate base period claim.

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to Washington ESD agents by phone. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. I was able to speak with someone the same day I used it.

I found that section! Q1 shows $9,022, Q2 shows $4,156, Q3 shows $6,783, Q4 shows $2,940. So they used the $9,022 from Q1?

Yes, that's your highest quarter at $9,022. Divide that by 26 weeks and you get your $347 weekly benefit amount.

The system is designed to look at your overall earnings capacity over time, not just your most recent job. It prevents people from working briefly at a high-paying job just to get higher benefits.

You might be eligible for an alternate base period if your recent wages aren't included in the standard base period. That could potentially increase your benefit amount.

Yes, all wages reported to Washington ESD count including overtime, bonuses, and commissions. It's based on your total gross wages for each quarter.

6 weeks in adjudication is way too long. I used Claimyr to get through to someone when my claim was stuck. They connected me to an adjudicator who was able to explain the delay and what documents I needed to submit.

What happens if you don't meet those requirements?

Then you wouldn't qualify for regular unemployment benefits. You'd get a denial letter explaining insufficient wages in your base period.

That's frustrating but the base period looks at a full year of work history, not just recent employment. It's designed to ensure you have substantial work history before qualifying for benefits.

You might want to look into applying with an alternate base period if your recent work doesn't show up in the standard calculation. That uses more recent quarters.

You'd typically file in the state where you worked most recently, but Washington ESD can request wage information from other states to include in your base period calculation.

I had wages from California and it took forever for Washington ESD to get the information. Delayed my whole claim by like 8 weeks.

I wish I had known about that before I filed! Would have saved me a lot of confusion.

Yes, the maximum changes annually based on the state's average weekly wage. For 2024, the maximum weekly benefit in Washington is $999, but it will likely increase slightly for 2025.

There might be other factors affecting your calculation like partial quarters or if you had any disqualifying income. You should definitely contact Washington ESD to get clarification.

Yes, you should continue filing weekly claims during the appeal process. If your appeal is successful, you'll receive back pay for any weeks you filed.

Same here! This thread was super helpful. I feel much better about my claim now that I understand the calculation.

Glad we could help! Washington ESD's monetary determination letters are confusing but once you understand the base period concept it all clicks.