What is the max weekly unemployment benefit amount in Washington ESD 2025?

Thank you! That's higher than I expected. How do they calculate what quarter counts as my highest earning quarter?

Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. They look at each quarter separately and use whichever one had your highest earnings.

Exactly, the benefit formula is pretty complex. Your weekly benefit is roughly 3.85% of your highest quarter earnings, but there's also a minimum you need to earn in your base period overall.

What's the minimum earnings requirement? I'm pretty sure I made enough but want to double check.

Never heard of that service before. Did they charge you anything to get connected?

There is a fee but honestly it was worth it to actually talk to someone instead of calling Washington ESD 50 times and getting nowhere. My claim had some issues that needed to be resolved.

I might try that. I've been calling Washington ESD for weeks about my adjudication and can never get through.

Ok I definitely made more than the minimum. My salary was around $85k last year so I should qualify for a decent amount.

With that salary you should get pretty close to the max, assuming your earnings were spread evenly throughout the year. The calculation can get tricky if you had gaps in employment or big bonuses in certain quarters.

Good point, I forgot about taxes. Do most people choose to have taxes withheld or pay later?

I always have them withhold 10% federal and 7% state. Better than getting hit with a big tax bill next year.

How many job contacts do I need to make each week? I heard the requirements changed recently.

You need to make at least 3 job search contacts per week and keep a log of your activities. This includes applying for jobs, networking contacts, attending job fairs, etc.

they're pretty strict about the job search thing now, make sure you keep good records

That's frustrating. Did you consider using the alternate base period? Sometimes that can result in a higher benefit amount if your recent earnings were higher.

I didn't know that was an option. How do I request that?

You can request alternate base period consideration when you file your claim, or contact Washington ESD to have them recalculate. The alternate base period uses the last four completed quarters instead of the first four of the last five.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr to talk to an agent. The website is terrible for explaining this stuff. The agent walked me through the calculation step by step.

I might have to try that service. I really need to understand my situation before I file because I'm not sure if I'll qualify at all.

That's really helpful! Let me try that calculation with my numbers.

thats a good formula but dont forget theres also a minimum weekly benefit amount, i think its like $295 or something

Yes, the minimum weekly benefit in 2025 is $295. So your calculated amount will be somewhere between $295 and $999 depending on your earnings.

Good to know. I'm planning to file next week so I'll be getting the current rates.

Perfect timing then. The rates usually get updated in January so you're getting the most current amounts.

That's correct, standard unemployment benefits last up to 26 weeks. There aren't any federal extension programs active right now like there were during the pandemic.

26 weeks should hopefully be enough time to find something new. The job market seems to be picking up in my field.

Agreed, there should be a simple calculator where you can plug in your quarterly earnings and see what your benefit would be.

Some third-party websites have unemployment calculators, but I'd be careful about their accuracy. The official calculation from Washington ESD is always going to be the most reliable.

how long did it take them to connect you? the regular washington esd number is impossible

It was surprisingly fast, maybe 10-15 minutes total. Way better than spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.

You're welcome! Make sure you have all your employment information ready when you file - employer names, addresses, dates of employment, and reason for separation.

Will do. I've been organizing all that paperwork this week.

Good point, I'll file this weekend. My last day of work was this past Friday.

yeah dont wait, i made that mistake and lost out on a weeks worth of benefits