What is highest unemployment benefits by weekly benefit amount in Washington state?

Thanks! Do you know what the minimum earnings requirement is? I worked part-time for most of last year.

You need at least $3,850 in your base period and earnings in at least two quarters. If you only worked part-time, you might still qualify depending on your total earnings.

No, it's still $999 for 2025. The rates do get adjusted annually but the maximum hasn't changed this year.

oh ok my bad, maybe i was thinking of a different state

How much does that service cost? I'm already worried about money.

It's worth checking their site for current pricing. The time it saves compared to trying to call ESD yourself can be really valuable, especially when you need answers about benefit calculations.

Wait, so even if I qualify for the maximum, I won't actually get $999 in my pocket?

Right, if you elect tax withholding it'll be less. You can choose not to have taxes withheld but then you'll owe them later.

I learned this the hard way last year - ended up owing like $2000 in taxes because I didn't have them withhold anything

The calculation isn't that bad once you understand it. It's based on your highest earning quarter divided by 26, up to the maximum.

Still unnecessarily complex if you ask me. Just give people a straight answer.

That sounds about right. The formula is your highest quarter earnings divided by 26 weeks, so $15,000 ÷ 26 = roughly $577.

yeah most people don't actually get the maximum unless they were making really good money

Were you able to get through by calling? I've heard the wait times are terrible.

It took forever each time. Probably 2+ hours on hold. That Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier might have saved me a lot of time.

Yeah, that's exactly the kind of situation where Claimyr helps. Getting answers about benefit calculations is one of the main reasons people need to talk to an actual ESD agent.

Standby benefits can have different calculations depending on your union agreement. Regular unemployment benefits are what we're talking about with the $999 maximum.

That makes sense. I was confused because my standby rate was calculated differently.

I tried that but I don't have all my wage statements from last year. My previous employer was pretty disorganized.

ESD should have your wage information from employer reports. When you file your claim they'll use their records, not what you estimate.

6 weeks?? That's insane. Were there issues with your claim?

they said it was in adjudication but never told me why. eventually got approved but by then i'd already found another job

True, but cost of living here is also way higher than those states.

Fair point. $999 doesn't go as far in Seattle as it would in other places.

Wait, there's extra money for dependents? How does that work?

If you have qualifying dependents (kids under 18 or disabled adult children), you get an extra $25 per week regardless of your benefit amount.

How would I go about getting that verified without waiting on hold forever?

That's another good use case for Claimyr - they can help you get connected to verify your benefit calculation is correct.

That's not quite right. Benefit duration is based on your total base period earnings, not your weekly amount. Most people get 26 weeks regardless of their weekly benefit rate.

Oh thanks for the correction. I was thinking of the total dollar amount available.

Good to know it's confirmed current. Thanks for sharing your recent experience.

Yeah I've heard about the job search requirements. How many jobs do you have to apply to each week?

i think its 3 job contacts per week but check the current requirements since they change sometimes

Hopefully I won't need to appeal anything, but good to know there are options if issues come up.

I disagree - tried to file online last month and the system kept crashing. Ended up having to call anyway.

That's frustrating. I had a smooth experience but sounds like it's not consistent for everyone.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. I think I have enough details now to decide whether to file.

Good luck with your claim! Feel free to ask if you run into any issues during the process.