What is the maximum unemployment per week amount in Washington ESD?

The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington for 2025 is $999 per week. This is based on your highest quarter earnings during your base period. To qualify for the maximum, you need to have earned at least $72,926 in your highest quarter.

Thanks! That's higher than I expected. How do they calculate what quarter counts as your highest?

They look at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim. So if you filed in January 2025, they'd look at quarters from April 2023 through March 2024.

just to add to this - you also get a dependent allowance if you have kids under 18. its like $25 per child up to 5 kids i think

It's actually $34 per dependent child for 2025, up to 5 children maximum. So you could potentially get an extra $170 per week on top of your regular benefit if you qualify for the maximum and have 5 dependents.

oh cool didnt know they increased it

I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to verify my benefit calculation because something seems off with my amount. The phone lines are always busy and when I do get through I get disconnected. Has anyone found a reliable way to actually talk to someone there?

I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an actual agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

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

It's worth it when you consider the alternative is spending your whole day redialing. Plus they actually get results - I was able to resolve my benefit calculation issue within a couple days instead of weeks of trying on my own.

WAIT hold on everyone - I thought the max was like $844 or something? When did it go up to $999? I swear my friend just filed last year and got way less than that even though she made good money.

The maximum gets adjusted annually based on the state's average wage. It was $844 in 2023, then went to $929 in 2024, and now it's $999 for 2025. Your friend might not have qualified for the maximum based on her wage history.

ohhhh that makes sense. so even if you made decent money you might not hit the max threshold

Don't forget you still have to meet the job search requirements even if you're getting the maximum benefit. Washington ESD requires 3 job contacts per week and you have to log them in WorkSourceWA.

Yeah I signed up for WorkSourceWA already. Do the job contacts have to be applications or can they be other things?

They can be applications, interviews, job fairs, networking events, or even informational interviews. Just make sure you document everything properly in your job search log.

I'm curious about something - if you were making way more than the threshold for max benefits, do you get any kind of additional compensation? Like if someone was making $150k per year, seems unfair they get the same as someone making $73k.

Nope, there's a hard cap at $999 per week regardless of how much you were earning above the threshold. The unemployment system is designed as temporary income replacement, not full salary replacement for high earners.

That's frustrating but I guess it makes sense from a policy perspective.

Has anyone had issues with Washington ESD calculating their benefits wrong? I think I should be getting more based on my wages but my weekly amount seems low.

This happened to me too! Turns out they were missing some of my wage information from one of my employers. I had to submit additional documentation to get it corrected. You should definitely call them about it.

I've been trying to call for days. Maybe I should try that Claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier.

Yeah that might be your best bet. Getting through to Washington ESD on your own is nearly impossible these days.

Quick question - does the maximum amount include taxes or is that before taxes?

The $999 is before taxes. You can choose to have federal taxes withheld (10%) and state taxes aren't taken out of unemployment benefits in Washington since we don't have state income tax.

Good to know, thanks! So I'd actually get the full $999 if I qualify.

Does anyone know if there are different rules for seasonal workers? I work in construction and get laid off every winter.

Seasonal workers follow the same benefit calculation rules, but you might want to look into standby status if your employer expects to call you back. That can affect your job search requirements.

What's standby status? Never heard of that before.

It's when your employer gives you a specific return-to-work date within 12 weeks. You still get benefits but don't have to do the weekly job search activities since you have a job to return to.

I'm getting confused by all the numbers. Can someone break down exactly how they calculate your weekly benefit amount?

Sure! They take your total wages from your highest earning quarter during your base period, divide by 26, then multiply by 0.0385. The result is your weekly benefit rate, capped at $999. For dependents, add $34 per child up to 5 kids.

That formula seems weird but okay. So if I made $20,000 in my highest quarter, that would be $20,000 ÷ 26 = $769, then $769 × 0.0385 = about $296 per week?

Exactly! You've got it right.

be careful about working part time while collecting benefits - they reduce your weekly amount dollar for dollar after you earn more than your weekly benefit amount

Actually that's not quite right. In Washington, you can earn up to 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount before they start reducing benefits. So if your weekly benefit is $400, you can earn up to $600 without any reduction.

oh really? i thought it was different. thanks for the correction

This whole system is so confusing. I wish Washington ESD made this information clearer on their website. Took me forever to figure out what I might qualify for.

I know right? And trying to get answers from them directly is a nightmare. At least forums like this help fill in the gaps.

True, this thread has been super helpful actually.

One more thing to consider - your benefit year lasts 52 weeks from when you first file, but you only get 26 weeks of benefits maximum during that year (unless there are extended benefits available).

So even if I qualify for the maximum $999, I only get it for 26 weeks total?

Correct. And if you find work and then lose it again during the same benefit year, you'd continue using up those 26 weeks rather than starting over.

Good to know. Hopefully I won't need anywhere near 26 weeks but it's good to understand the limits.

For what it's worth, I was skeptical about that Claimyr service mentioned earlier but I ended up trying it when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my benefit amount calculation. It actually worked - got connected to an agent who was able to explain exactly how they calculated my benefits and confirmed I was getting the right amount.

How long did it take for them to get you connected?

Maybe like 20 minutes? Way better than the hours I spent trying to call myself.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed info! This thread answered pretty much all my questions about maximum unemployment benefits in Washington. Sounds like I should qualify for a decent amount based on my previous salary.

Glad this helped! Make sure to file your weekly claims on time every week to keep your benefits flowing.

Will do. Already set a reminder on my phone for Sundays.