What percentage does unemployment pay in Washington - confused about benefit calculation

Washington ESD doesn't use a straight percentage like some other states. They calculate your weekly benefit amount based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period, then divide by 26. The maximum weekly benefit for 2025 is $999, but most people get less depending on their earnings history.

i think its around 50% but theres a cap. when i was on UI last year i was making like $3800/month and only got like $650/week in benefits so definitely not 50% for me

The percentage varies a lot depending on your income level. Lower wage earners might get closer to 50% replacement, while higher earners hit the maximum benefit cap and get a lower percentage. If you were making $4,200/month, you might get around $700-800 weekly, which would be about 35-40% of your gross pay.

I've been trying to call Washington ESD for weeks to get clarification on my benefit calculation and can never get through! The automated system just hangs up on me after being on hold forever. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to someone there?

To give you a more precise answer about the percentage: Washington uses a formula where your weekly benefit amount equals your highest quarter earnings divided by 26, but capped at the maximum. For someone earning $4,200/month consistently, you'd likely qualify for close to the maximum weekly benefit, which translates to roughly 35-42% income replacement depending on your exact wage history.

The whole system is designed to screw over people who actually worked and made decent money. I was making $5000/month and only getting like $850/week in benefits. That's barely 40%! Meanwhile people who barely worked get almost their full pay replaced.

wait is the percentage based on gross or net pay? cause if its gross thats even worse

I just went through this calculation process last month. Made about $4,500/month and ended up with $834/week in benefits. That worked out to about 38% of my gross monthly income. Not great but enough to get by while job hunting.

honestly just file and see what you get approved for. the percentage thing is confusing and depends on so many factors. better to have the actual number from Washington ESD than trying to guess

For what it's worth, Washington's unemployment benefits are actually pretty decent compared to other states. Some states cap benefits way lower. The percentage might seem low but $800+ per week is liveable in most areas.

The thing that confused me was understanding which quarters count as your 'base period' for the calculation. I thought it was the most recent quarters but it's actually offset by one quarter. Made a big difference in my benefit amount.

Does anyone know if the percentage changes if you're on partial unemployment? Like if I pick up some part-time work while collecting benefits?

I used Claimyr last week to finally get through to Washington ESD about my benefit calculation questions. The agent was able to explain exactly how they calculated my weekly amount and why it was different than what I expected. Worth checking out if you're stuck trying to reach them.

The percentage question comes up a lot but honestly most people just care about the dollar amount they'll get each week. The formula is what it is - focus on filing correctly and meeting all the requirements so you actually get paid.

Been collecting for 8 weeks now and still confused about how they calculated my amount lol. As long as the money keeps coming I'm not complaining too much about the percentage

For people making around $4000-5000/month, expect roughly 35-45% income replacement depending on your specific wage history and how close you get to the maximum benefit. It's not a fixed percentage like some other states use.

I tried using one of those online unemployment calculators for Washington but it was way off from what I actually got approved for. Better to just wait for the official determination from Washington ESD.

The percentage varies so much based on individual circumstances that it's hard to give a single answer. File your claim and you'll get an exact dollar amount once Washington ESD processes it. That's more useful than trying to estimate percentages.

One thing to remember is that unemployment benefits are taxable, so even if you get 40% of your gross pay, after taxes it might feel like even less. Plan accordingly or elect to have taxes withheld from your benefits.