What is the maximum payment for unemployment in Washington ESD 2025?

That's helpful! So if I made around $65,000 in my highest quarter, I probably won't get the full maximum then?

Right, with $65k in your highest quarter you'd get about $767 per week. Still a decent amount though!

Washington adjusts the maximum benefit amount annually based on the state average wage. It went up to $999 at the beginning of 2025.

oh damn that's actually pretty good compared to other states

Is there any way to estimate what you'll get before filing? I'm dreading having to deal with Washington ESD's phone system just to ask questions.

There's a benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website, but honestly it's not super user-friendly. You might have better luck using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to someone at Washington ESD who can walk you through it. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how they help people get connected without waiting on hold forever.

Yeah exactly, I was making about $8500 a month so even the max benefit is less than half. Still grateful it exists though.

at least washington has one of the higher maximum benefits compared to other states. some places cap out at like $400-500

This is super helpful but I'm still confused about the base period thing. If I file in March 2025, what quarters do they look at?

If you file in March 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. They look at your wages in each of those four quarters and use the highest one for the calculation.

Got it, thanks! That actually works out well for me since I had a big bonus in Q2 2024.

Same here! I've been calling since 7:59 AM every day and still can't reach anyone. This is so frustrating when you just need basic information.

I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr. They basically get you connected to Washington ESD agents without the endless hold times. Cost me like $20 but saved me literally hours of frustration. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they even have a demo video showing exactly how it works.

Interesting, is it legit? I'm pretty desperate at this point but don't want to get scammed.

The maximum applies to all unemployment insurance benefits in Washington, including standby. Your weekly benefit calculation is the same regardless of whether you're on regular UI or standby status.

Perfect, thanks! I was worried standby might have different limits.

I think it's because unemployment is designed to replace a percentage of your actual wages rather than being a flat amount. But yeah, they could definitely make it clearer on their website.

The whole Washington ESD website is a mess tbh. Half the links don't work and the other half take you to pages that don't actually answer your question.

That's encouraging! Did you have any problems with the initial application or did it go smoothly?

Pretty smooth actually. The hardest part was gathering all my employment info for the past 18 months, but once I submitted everything it processed without any adjudication issues.

The $999 is the gross amount before taxes. You can choose to have federal taxes withheld (10%) when you certify for benefits, or you can pay quarterly estimated taxes instead. Washington state doesn't have income tax so no state withholding.

Good to know, thanks! I'll probably have them withhold the 10% to avoid a big tax bill next year.

Yeah it was $844 in 2024 so the jump to $999 is pretty significant. Probably reflects how much wages have gone up in Seattle and the tech sector.

Makes sense, cost of living here is insane so at least unemployment benefits are keeping up somewhat.

How long have you been in adjudication? Mine took about 3 weeks but some people wait longer unfortunately.

Going on 2 weeks now. I've tried calling but you know how that goes with their phone system.

If you need to actually talk to someone about your adjudication status, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work. I was skeptical at first but they got me connected to a Washington ESD rep in like 10 minutes instead of the usual hours of hold time.

Do they actually verify the job contacts or is it honor system?

They can audit your job search log at any time, so definitely keep detailed records. I know people who've had to provide proof months later.

Same here! At least now I have a better idea of what to expect when my claim gets processed.

Yeah Washington definitely has one of the better unemployment systems, even if their phone support is terrible.