What is the highest Washington ESD unemployment rate I can qualify for in 2025?

That's way higher than I expected! Do I need to do anything special to get the max amount or does Washington ESD calculate it automatically?

It's calculated automatically based on your wage history. Make sure all your employers are reporting your wages correctly to Washington ESD.

Yes, Washington has one of the highest maximum benefit amounts in the country. It gets adjusted annually based on the state's average weekly wage.

damn i wish i knew that before i moved to oregon last year lol

Same problem here! I've called probably 50 times and either get busy signals or sit on hold for hours just to get hung up on.

I actually found something that helped me get through - there's a service called Claimyr that helps you connect with Washington ESD agents. I was skeptical at first but it worked. Check out claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

What exactly is the base period? I'm confused about how they determine which wages to use.

Your base period is usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at wages from January 2024 through September 2024.

This is so confusing. I wish I could just call and have someone explain it to me instead of trying to figure it out online.

What are the job search requirements? I heard they changed recently.

You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log. You can use WorkSourceWA to help with this.

It sounds like your base period might not have included your highest earning quarters. You can sometimes request an alternate base period if that would give you a higher benefit amount.

wish i knew that then, my claim already closed

How much does something like that cost? Sounds too good to be true.

It's worth it when you consider how much time it saves. I was literally taking time off work to try calling Washington ESD and getting nowhere.

Good point! I definitely made more than that so I should be fine. Thanks for the info.

what happens if you didn't make enough in any quarter?

Then you wouldn't qualify for unemployment benefits at all. There's a minimum threshold you have to meet.

Same boat here. My claim has been in adjudication forever and no one can tell me why or when it might be resolved.

This is exactly why I've been trying to call them. The online system is useless for getting real answers.

What's the most common mistake people make with weekly claims?

Not reporting work or income correctly, or missing the filing deadline. You have to file by the end of the week even if you didn't work.

Yeah, I was doing contract work and my benefits were way lower than expected because of how they calculated my base period wages.

Contract workers often get screwed by the system unfortunately. The calculation doesn't account for the irregular nature of that work.

Can you have taxes withheld automatically or do you have to pay quarterly?

You can elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you set up your claim. State of Washington doesn't have income tax so no worries there.

How long did it take them to connect you?

About 45 minutes. Way better than the days I spent trying to call on my own.

Perfect, that's what I was hoping to hear. I'll make sure to double-check that all my wage info is correct when I file.