What is the most unemployment you can get in Washington ESD?

Thanks! That's higher than I expected. Do you know if that includes the additional $25 for dependents?

No, the dependent allowance is separate. You can get an additional $25 per week for each dependent child up to 5 kids, so theoretically up to $125 extra.

That sounds about right. The formula is roughly 50% of your average weekly wage during your base period, but it can't exceed the state maximum.

Wait, is the base period the last year you worked or something different?

How does that work exactly? I've been trying to call Washington ESD for days about my benefit calculation.

Basically they handle the calling for you and get you connected when an agent is available. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Sounds sketchy to me. Why would you need a third party service to call unemployment?

I understand your frustration, but unemployment is calculated on quarterly wages, not annual salary. If your income was spread evenly, your highest quarter would be around $30k, which would put you close to the maximum benefit.

Well that's stupid. Why don't they just use your annual income like normal people would think?

Because people's income can vary dramatically quarter to quarter. Using the base period method helps account for seasonal work and varying schedules.

Correct. The maximum weekly benefit amount is set by the state legislature and adjusted annually. No matter how much you earned, $999 is the cap for 2025.

yep thats the max but most people dont get anywhere close to that amount

Yes, they look at all covered employment during your base period. So if you had multiple W-2 jobs, all that income would be included in the calculation.

Good to know. I was worried they'd only count my main job.

The base period is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file your claim. So if you file in January 2025, they'd look at January-December 2024.

That seems weird. What if you just started a really good job but got laid off after a few months?

That's why there's also an alternate base period option if you don't qualify under the standard base period. It uses the last four completed quarters instead.

I know someone who was a senior software engineer at Microsoft who got the full amount. But yeah, you need to be making serious money to hit that cap.

My brother in law got $945 when he got laid off from Boeing. Close but not quite the max.

Wait, unemployment is taxable? I thought it was like welfare or something.

Nope, it's considered taxable income. You can have taxes withheld or pay quarterly estimated taxes.

You can choose to have 10% federal tax withheld when you file your weekly claims to avoid a big tax bill later.

The easiest way is to look at your highest earning quarter in the past year and calculate roughly 50% of your average weekly wage from that quarter. That'll give you a ballpark estimate.

Or just call Washington ESD and ask them to explain your benefit calculation. If you can't get through on the phone, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work for getting connected to an agent.

Each state sets their own maximum benefit amounts. Washington tends to be on the higher end compared to most states.

Yeah Washington is definitely better than most places for unemployment benefits

It's adjusted annually based on the state's average weekly wage. Usually goes up a little bit each year with inflation and wage growth.

Makes sense. Good to know it keeps up with cost of living somewhat.

That sounds reasonable for a tech salary. Just remember you'll need to be actively job searching and filing your weekly claims on time to keep receiving benefits.

Yeah I'm already signed up with WorkSource and everything. Thanks for the reminder though!

26 weeks goes by faster than you think when you're job hunting. Better to treat it as a bridge, not a long-term solution.

Exactly. I burned through my 26 weeks faster than I expected and had to really hustle to find something before they ran out.

I tried that calculator but couldn't figure out how to use it properly. The interface is confusing.

That's another reason why talking to an actual agent can be helpful. They can walk you through the calculation step by step. Claimyr helped me get through to someone who explained everything clearly.

True, but even minimum wage workers can sometimes qualify for additional benefits like food stamps to help make ends meet.

Yeah, unemployment alone isn't meant to replace your full salary. It's just supposed to be a safety net while you look for new work.