What is max unemployment benefit amount in Washington ESD right now?
I'm trying to figure out what the maximum weekly unemployment benefit is in Washington state for 2025. I just got laid off from my tech job making $95k and want to know what to expect when I file my claim. I've been searching the Washington ESD website but can't find a clear answer on the current maximum weekly benefit amount. Does anyone know what it is this year?
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Olivia Garcia
The maximum weekly benefit amount for regular UI in Washington is $999 per week as of 2025. This is based on your highest earning quarter in your base period. You'll also get an additional $25 per week for each dependent child up to 5 kids.
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Liam Brown
•Thanks! So with your salary you should qualify for close to the maximum. The formula is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings.
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Noah Lee
•wait is that before or after taxes? because they take out federal taxes from unemployment benefits
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Ava Hernandez
I think it depends on when you worked too. Washington ESD looks at your base period which is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you filed. With your salary you should def get close to max but they calculate it weird.
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Liam Brown
•Yeah the base period thing is confusing. I worked the whole year so hopefully that helps my calculation.
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Olivia Garcia
•The base period calculation can definitely be tricky. If your recent earnings were higher, you might want to ask Washington ESD about using the alternate base period.
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Isabella Martin
I tried calling Washington ESD like 50 times to get info about benefit amounts and kept getting disconnected. Their phone system is absolutely terrible. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me through to an agent who explained everything. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Elijah Jackson
•How much does that cost? I'm already broke from being unemployed lol
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Isabella Martin
•It's worth it to get actual answers instead of spending hours on hold. Way less frustrating than the regular Washington ESD phone tree.
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Liam Brown
•Might try that if I run into issues with my claim. Thanks for the tip!
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Sophia Miller
The $999 maximum is correct but remember you can only collect for 26 weeks max in Washington unless there's some extension program running. Also you have to do job searches and report them on your weekly claims.
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Liam Brown
•How many job searches do you have to do per week? I heard it was 3 but wasn't sure.
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Sophia Miller
•It's 3 job search activities per week that you have to log in WorkSourceWA. Can be applications, networking, job fairs, etc.
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Noah Lee
i got the max last year but it took forever to get approved because my claim went into adjudication for like 6 weeks. washington esd is so slow with everything
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Liam Brown
•What caused the adjudication delay? Was it something with your employer or just random?
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Noah Lee
•they said it was because i had multiple employers in my base period so they had to verify everything. super annoying
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Mason Davis
One thing to note is that the maximum benefit amount changes every year based on the state's average weekly wage. Washington typically announces the new rates in the fall for the following year. The $999 figure is current for 2025.
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Liam Brown
•Good to know it changes annually. Do you know what it was last year for comparison?
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Mason Davis
•I believe it was around $844 in 2024, so there was a decent increase this year.
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Ava Hernandez
•Wow that's a big jump! Inflation I guess
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Elijah Jackson
Don't forget you have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits. I got hit with a big tax bill because I didn't have them withhold anything. You can request federal tax withholding when you file your weekly claims.
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Liam Brown
•How much do they withhold if you elect that option?
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Elijah Jackson
•I think it's 10% for federal. You still have to deal with state taxes separately though.
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Mia Rodriguez
ugh the whole system is broken. been waiting 3 months for my adjudication to clear and still getting the runaround from washington esd. how are people supposed to survive like this??
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Isabella Martin
•That's exactly why I used Claimyr to get through to someone. Three months is way too long for adjudication.
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Mia Rodriguez
•might have to look into that because calling myself hasn't worked at all
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Sophia Miller
•You should also consider filing an appeal if your adjudication is taking that long. There are time limits on appeals so don't wait too long.
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Jacob Lewis
The maximum also depends on if you're eligible for any add-on programs. Like if you're in training there might be additional benefits available through WorkSource.
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Liam Brown
•What kind of training programs are you talking about? Is that something I should look into?
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Jacob Lewis
•WorkSource offers various retraining programs, especially for people laid off from certain industries. Worth checking out if you want to change careers.
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Olivia Garcia
Also remember that your benefit amount is calculated using your gross wages, not your net pay. So don't worry if your take-home was less than what they're using for the calculation.
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Liam Brown
•That makes sense. I was wondering how they handled things like 401k contributions and health insurance deductions.
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Olivia Garcia
•Exactly - they use your gross wages before any deductions for the benefit calculation.
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Amelia Martinez
Just remember to file your weekly claims every week even if you're waiting for adjudication. If you miss weeks you might not be able to get back pay for those periods.
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Liam Brown
•Good point. I'll make sure to stay on top of that once I get my claim filed.
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Noah Lee
•yeah learned that the hard way. missed one week and couldn't get paid for it later
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Ethan Clark
Has anyone had issues with the SecureAccess Washington (SAW) system? I keep getting locked out when trying to access my Washington ESD account.
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Olivia Garcia
•Try clearing your browser cache and cookies. The SAW system can be finicky with saved login data.
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Ethan Clark
•I'll try that. This whole online system seems pretty glitchy.
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Mila Walker
Another thing - if you worked in multiple states you might need to file an interstate claim. That can affect your benefit amount depending on where your wages were earned.
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Liam Brown
•Fortunately I only worked in Washington so that shouldn't be an issue for me.
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Mila Walker
•Good, that makes it much simpler. Interstate claims can be a real headache.
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Logan Scott
don't count on getting the max right away either. took them like 2 weeks to process my monetary determination and figure out my actual benefit amount
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Liam Brown
•How long after you filed did you get your first payment?
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Logan Scott
•about 3 weeks total from filing to first payment. had to serve a waiting week too
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Chloe Green
The waiting week requirement was eliminated in Washington so you shouldn't have to deal with that anymore. One less thing to worry about.
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Logan Scott
•oh really? that's good news. that waiting week was annoying
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Liam Brown
•Yeah I read about that change. Glad they got rid of that requirement.
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Lucas Adams
Make sure you understand the difference between gross misconduct and regular misconduct if your employer tries to fight your claim. Gross misconduct can disqualify you entirely while regular misconduct might just delay benefits.
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Liam Brown
•I was laid off due to budget cuts so hopefully that won't be an issue. But good to know the distinction.
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Lucas Adams
•Layoffs are usually straightforward for qualification. Should be fine.
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Harper Hill
Quick question - do part time earnings affect the maximum benefit amount calculation? I had a side gig along with my main job.
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Olivia Garcia
•All covered wages in your base period count toward the calculation, including part-time work. As long as taxes were withheld it should be included.
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Harper Hill
•Perfect, that should help boost my benefit amount then. Thanks!
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Caden Nguyen
I used Claimyr recently when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my benefit calculation. Really helped to talk to an actual person who could explain how they determine the weekly amount.
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Liam Brown
•Seems like a lot of people are having success with that service. Might be worth trying.
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Caden Nguyen
•Yeah especially for complex questions about benefit amounts. Way better than trying to navigate their phone system.
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Avery Flores
Does anyone know if the maximum changes if you're collecting standby benefits instead of regular unemployment? I'm in a union and might be on temporary layoff.
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Mason Davis
•Standby benefits use the same benefit calculation as regular UI. The difference is you don't have to do job searches since you're expecting to return to work.
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Avery Flores
•Good to know. That would make things easier if I don't have to do the job search requirement.
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Zoe Gonzalez
Bottom line - with a $95k salary you should get close to the $999 maximum assuming you worked enough quarters. The Washington ESD benefit calculator on their website can give you an estimate once you have your wage information ready.
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Liam Brown
•Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! This gives me a much better idea of what to expect when I file my claim.
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Zoe Gonzalez
•Good luck with your claim! The tech job market is tough right now but at least Washington has decent unemployment benefits.
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