What is the most you can collect from Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Wow that's higher than I expected! Do you know how they determine which quarter counts as your highest earning quarter?

They look at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. So if you file in March 2025, they'd look at October 2023 through September 2024.

You're close! The minimum is actually $3,719 in your base period, with at least $2,479 earned outside your highest quarter. These numbers get adjusted annually.

thanks for the correction! always get those exact figures mixed up

I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works. Game changer for me!

Try calling right at 8am when they open or during lunch hour around 12:30. Sometimes you can get through easier then.

That's really helpful to know! So the $999 is only if you made close to $75k in a single quarter?

Exactly. Most people don't hit the maximum unless they're in pretty high-paying jobs or had a lot of overtime in their highest quarter.

wait so if I made like $45k in my best quarter what would my weekly amount be roughly?

Good point. How many job contacts do you need to make each week?

It's 3 job search activities per week minimum. Can be applications, networking, interviews, etc. You have to log them in your WorkSourceWA account.

I hate that job search requirement. Like if I'm getting $900 a week why do I need to pretend to look for minimum wage jobs

That's awesome! How long have you been collecting? And do you know if tech jobs count differently for the calculation?

Been on it for about 3 months now. All jobs count the same way - it's just based on your reported wages. Tech tends to pay well so we often qualify for higher amounts.

lucky you! I'm only getting like $420 a week because I was working part time before I got laid off

What's the difference between regular unemployment and standby? I keep seeing that term but don't understand it.

I'll definitely check that out. Is it on the main ESD website?

Yeah, it's under the 'Estimate Your Benefits' section. You just plug in your quarterly wages and it gives you the weekly amount.

I tried using that calculator but it kept giving me error messages. Maybe the website was down or something

Good reminder! Can you have Washington ESD withhold taxes automatically?

Yes, you can elect to have 10% federal tax withheld when you file your weekly claims. There's a checkbox for it.

I learned this the hard way last year. Owed like $3000 in taxes because I didn't withhold anything from my unemployment

How much does something like that cost? Seems like it could get expensive.

I'm skeptical of services like that. Seems like they might just be doing the same thing I could do myself

That's a good point. I worked in Washington and Oregon last year and wasn't sure which state to file in.

Yeah, Washington seems to have pretty decent benefits compared to what I hear about other states.

Cost of living is higher here too though, so it balances out somewhat

That makes sense. What kind of documentation do they want to see?

Keep records of applications, networking contacts, interview prep, job fair attendance - anything that shows you're actively pursuing employment. The WorkSourceWA system tracks most of it automatically.

I got audited last year and it was a pain. They wanted to see everything going back like 3 months

Hopefully I won't need to worry about that, but good to know it exists as a backup.

Extended benefits haven't been available in Washington for a while now since unemployment rates are relatively low. But worth checking if you're getting close to exhausting regular benefits.