What percent of your check do you get for Washington ESD unemployment benefits?
I'm trying to figure out how much I'll actually get from Washington ESD if I file for unemployment. I was making about $4,200 a month at my last job and I keep hearing different numbers about what percentage of your wages you get. Some people say 50%, others say it depends on how much you made. Does anyone know the actual formula Washington ESD uses to calculate weekly benefit amounts? I need to know if it'll be enough to cover my rent and basic expenses.
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Maxwell St. Laurent
Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period. It's not a straight percentage of your paycheck. They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then you get roughly 3.85% of that per week. So if you made $13,000 in your highest quarter, your weekly benefit would be around $500.
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Talia Klein
•That's helpful but I'm still confused about the base period. Is that the last 4 quarters I worked or something different?
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Maxwell St. Laurent
•Base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file. So if you file in January 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024.
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PaulineW
The maximum weekly benefit amount in Washington is $999 as of 2025. You need to have made at least $26,000 in your highest quarter to get the max. Most people get somewhere between 40-50% of their average weekly wage, but it really depends on your earnings pattern.
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Annabel Kimball
•Wait, $26,000 in ONE quarter? That seems really high. Are you sure about that number?
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PaulineW
•Yes, that's correct. The maximum benefit is tied to the state's average wage. You'd need to be making around $100k annually to qualify for the full $999 weekly.
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Chris Elmeda
I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks to ask about my benefit calculation and it's impossible. Their phone lines are always busy and when I do get through, I get disconnected after waiting forever. Has anyone found a better way to reach them?
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Jean Claude
•I had the same problem until I found Claimyr. It's a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents. They have this system that keeps calling until they connect you, then calls you back when an agent is available. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works.
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Chris Elmeda
•That sounds too good to be true. How much does it cost?
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Jean Claude
•It's worth it when you consider how much time you save. I was able to get my benefit calculation question answered in 2 days instead of spending weeks trying to call.
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Charity Cohan
honestly the whole system is confusing as hell. i made like 45k last year but they're telling me my weekly benefit is only $380. that doesn't seem right?
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Maxwell St. Laurent
•It depends on when you earned that $45k and how it was distributed across quarters. If most of it was earned recently and falls outside your base period, it won't count toward your benefit calculation.
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Charity Cohan
•ugh this is so frustrating. why can't they just use your most recent pay stubs like normal people would think
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Josef Tearle
From my experience, most people end up getting around 45% of their gross weekly wages. But remember, unemployment benefits are taxable income, so you'll want to set aside money for taxes or elect to have them withheld.
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Talia Klein
•I didn't know they were taxable! That's going to make budgeting even tighter.
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Josef Tearle
•Yeah, you can elect to have 10% federal taxes withheld when you file your weekly claims. Washington doesn't have state income tax so that's not a concern.
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Shelby Bauman
The benefit calculator on Washington ESD's website is pretty accurate if you have your wage information handy. It's under the 'Calculate Your Benefits' section. Just need your quarterly earnings from your base period.
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Talia Klein
•I tried that but I don't have all my quarterly wage info. My last employer was terrible with record keeping.
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Shelby Bauman
•You can request your wage history from Washington ESD once you start your claim. They pull it from employer reports to the state.
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Quinn Herbert
Just remember that if you work part-time while collecting unemployment, they reduce your benefits dollar for dollar after you earn more than your weekly benefit amount. So if you get $400/week in UI and work a part-time job making $200, you keep the full $400. But if you make $500 from part-time work, your UI gets reduced to $300.
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Salim Nasir
•That's not quite right. There's actually a small earnings disregard. You can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount without any reduction.
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Quinn Herbert
•Oh you're right, I forgot about that. Thanks for the correction!
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Hazel Garcia
I'm in a similar situation and called Washington ESD yesterday using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got through in about 30 minutes instead of the usual hours of busy signals. The agent explained that my benefit amount would be $485/week based on my earnings history. Definitely recommend it if you need to talk to someone directly.
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Talia Klein
•How does Claimyr actually work? Do they just keep calling for you?
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Hazel Garcia
•Yeah, basically they have an automated system that keeps trying to get through to Washington ESD, then when they connect with an agent, they conference you in. Way better than sitting there redialing all day.
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Laila Fury
The minimum weekly benefit in Washington is $295 and you need to have earned at least $7,683 in your base period to qualify. If you made $4,200/month consistently, you should qualify for a decent benefit amount.
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Talia Klein
•That's reassuring. I was worried I might not qualify since I was only at my last job for 8 months.
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Laila Fury
•As long as you have sufficient earnings in your base period from all employers, the length of time at your most recent job doesn't matter for benefit calculation.
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Geoff Richards
WASHINGTON ESD IS THE WORST. I've been waiting 3 WEEKS just to find out my benefit amount because my claim is stuck in adjudication. This system is absolutely broken and they act like they're doing us a favor.
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Simon White
•Adjudication can take forever, especially if there are any issues with your work separation. Have you tried getting in touch with them about the delay?
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Geoff Richards
•TRIED? I've tried everything. Phone doesn't work, online messages get ignored. It's like they want people to give up.
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Hugo Kass
For what it's worth, I used to work in HR and helped employees with unemployment claims. The benefit formula is: (Highest quarter wages ÷ 26) × 0.0385 = weekly benefit amount, but it can't exceed the state maximum or be less than the minimum. Hope that helps with your planning.
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Talia Klein
•This is exactly what I needed! So if my highest quarter was around $12,600, I'd get about $480/week?
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Hugo Kass
•That math looks right. Keep in mind you also need sufficient wages in your entire base period, not just the highest quarter.
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Nasira Ibanez
i think it's like 60% but honestly who knows with this system lol
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Maxwell St. Laurent
•It's definitely not 60% for most people. The percentage varies widely based on your earnings pattern and the state's benefit formula.
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Khalil Urso
One thing people don't realize is that your benefit amount stays the same for your entire benefit year, even if you get a higher paying job after filing. It's based on that base period calculation and doesn't change.
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Myles Regis
•That's good to know. I was wondering if they recalculated based on more recent work.
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Khalil Urso
•Nope, it's locked in when you establish your claim. You'd need to exhaust your current claim and file a new one to get a recalculation based on newer wages.
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Brian Downey
If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD about your benefit calculation, I'd suggest trying Claimyr too. I was skeptical at first but it really works. Got my questions answered about my benefit amount and cleared up some confusion about my job search requirements all in one call.
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Jacinda Yu
•Did they help with job search requirement questions too? I'm confused about whether I need to do 3 or 5 job contacts per week.
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Brian Downey
•Yeah, the agent clarified that it's 3 job search activities per week, and they can include things like attending job fairs or networking events, not just applications.
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Landon Flounder
Just filed my claim last week and my monetary determination shows $465/week for 26 weeks. I was making about $3,800/month at my previous job, so that seems about right based on what everyone's saying here.
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Talia Klein
•That's helpful to know! Did you get your monetary determination right away or did it take a while?
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Landon Flounder
•Got it about 3 days after filing online. The process was pretty straightforward once I had all my employment info ready.
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Callum Savage
Remember that the weekly benefit amount is just the maximum you can get. If you work part-time or have other income, it gets reduced. Also, you have to file weekly claims and meet job search requirements to actually receive payments.
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Talia Klein
•What happens if you miss filing a weekly claim?
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Callum Savage
•You can file for up to 4 weeks retroactively, but it's better to file on time each week. Missing too many can cause issues with your claim.
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Ally Tailer
The percentage thing is misleading because it's not based on your last paycheck. My friend thought she'd get half her salary and was shocked when her benefits were way less because she'd only been working at higher wages for a few months.
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Aliyah Debovski
•Yeah, this is why the base period calculation catches people off guard. It's looking back further than most people expect.
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Miranda Singer
Bottom line - most people get between 40-50% of their average weekly wage, but it really depends on your specific situation. The online calculator is your best bet for an accurate estimate.
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Talia Klein
•Thanks everyone! This has been super helpful. I think I have a better understanding now of how the calculation works.
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