What is the percentage of unemployment benefits Washington ESD pays out?

It's not really a straight percentage like that. Washington ESD uses your highest earning quarter from your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters) and divides by 26 to get your weekly benefit amount. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $1,015.

washington esd is so confusing with all these calculations, i never understood it either when i was on unemployment last year

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your claim or get clarification on your benefit amount, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get connected to an actual agent when I was stuck in adjudication for weeks. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

The percentage thing is misleading because it depends on how much you made in different quarters. I made $65K last year but my highest quarter was only $17,500 because my income was spread pretty evenly. So my weekly benefit was around $673, which is maybe 55% of what I was making weekly when working.

This whole system is BROKEN. I've been calling Washington ESD for three weeks trying to get someone to explain my benefit calculation and can't get through to a human. The automated system just gives you the runaround and the callback option never works.

For most people it works out to roughly 45-60% of what you were making, depending on your pay structure. The formula is: (highest quarter wages ÷ 26) = weekly benefit amount, up to the maximum of $1,015 per week in Washington.

i think i'm getting like 40% of what i made before but thats because i had a lot of overtime in my base period that inflated my quarterly wages

The percentage varies a lot. I've seen people get anywhere from 35% to 65% of their working income depending on their situation. Washington ESD's benefit calculator on their website can give you an estimate if you know your quarterly wages.

Just went through this whole process myself. Made $48K last year, highest quarter was $14,200, getting $546 per week. That works out to about 59% of my average weekly earnings. Not great but better than nothing while I job hunt.

washington esd really needs to simplify this whole process, took me forever to understand how they calculate benefits and even longer to actually get approved

If you're still stuck in adjudication and need to talk to someone about your benefit calculation, I had good luck with that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got through to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait times.

The percentage thing is confusing because it's not based on your annual salary like most people think. It's specifically your highest earning quarter divided by 26 weeks. So someone making $60K with uneven quarterly earnings might get very different benefits than someone making $60K with steady pay.

been on unemployment twice in the past five years and both times it was around 50% of my regular income, seems pretty consistent for most people i know

Don't forget that Washington ESD also requires you to do job search activities to keep getting benefits. Make sure you're logging those in WorkSource or whatever system they're using now.

The real answer is it depends on your specific wage history, but for most people it ends up being 45-60% of what you were making. Just don't expect it to fully replace your income - it's meant to be temporary assistance while you find new work.