What percent of salary is Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

It's not a straight percentage - Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings in your base period (first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters). The maximum weekly benefit amount for 2025 is $999 per week. Your benefit amount is roughly 3.85% of your total base period wages divided by 52, but there are caps.

I just went through this - made about $4,000/month and my weekly benefit came out to $847. So that's roughly 49% of my weekly gross pay. But like the other person said, it depends on your earnings history.

The general rule is that Washington unemployment benefits replace about 50% of your average weekly wage, up to the maximum. For 2025, the max is $999/week. If you're making $4,200/month ($969/week), you'd likely get close to that maximum assuming you've been employed consistently.

If you're worried about getting through to Washington ESD to check your potential benefit amount, I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals.

dont count on getting the max tho, my friend thought hed get $900+ but only gets like $650 because of some calculation thing with his base period

I make $5,500/month and only get $876/week in benefits. It's not 50% of current salary, it's based on that base period calculation. You really need to look at your earnings from 15+ months ago to get an accurate estimate.

So if I wanted to get an exact estimate, where would I look that up on the Washington ESD website?

The whole system is a mess honestly. Been waiting 3 weeks just to get my claim adjudicated. They make it so hard to get answers about anything including benefit amounts.

I think its roughly half your pay but capped at like $999. Most people I know get somewhere between $400-800 depending on their job.

Important to remember you'll owe taxes on unemployment benefits too. It's not as much take-home as you might think.

The percentage varies by state but Washington is actually pretty generous compared to some others. At least we have a decent maximum benefit amount.

If you file, make sure you understand the job search requirements too. It's not just about the money - you have to actively look for work and document it.

Just filed last month after a layoff. Made $4,100/month and my weekly benefit is $823. So about 48% of my weekly gross. The calculation really does depend on your specific earnings history though.

WASHINGTON ESD IS SO SLOW THO! Even if you qualify for good benefits, getting them processed takes forever. I'm still waiting after filing 3 weeks ago!

The benefit amount also depends on if you qualify for the dependency allowance. If you have dependents, you can get extra money per week.

Bottom line - if you're making $4,200/month consistently, you'll probably get close to $850-900/week in unemployment benefits. That's assuming no gaps in your work history and you meet all the other requirements.

One more thing - make sure you file right away if you do get laid off. There's no waiting period in Washington but you want to start the process as soon as possible since the first week is unpaid.