What percentage of wages does Washington ESD unemployment pay?

So it's not like 50% or 60% of what I was making? That's confusing.

Right, it's more complicated than that. They look at your earnings history over the past year and use a formula.

This is helpful but I'm still confused about the base period thing. Which quarters do they look at exactly?

They use the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed your claim.

Never heard of Claimyr before. Did they actually help you get through to Washington ESD?

Yeah, they got me connected within like 20 minutes. The agent walked me through exactly how my weekly benefit amount was calculated.

Interesting, I might try that. I've been trying to call for two weeks with no luck.

That would be amazing if I could get close to $999/week. That would definitely help with my mortgage payments.

Don't count on getting the max though. It depends on your earnings pattern over the whole base period, not just your most recent salary.

Exactly. The system is designed to replace a higher percentage of income for lower-wage workers.

That makes sense from a policy standpoint I guess, even if it's frustrating for higher earners.

You can actually estimate it yourself if you know your quarterly earnings. There are calculators online.

I tried those but I wasn't sure I was putting in the right quarters.

That's really helpful! Our salaries are pretty similar so maybe I'll get something comparable.

Did your benefit amount surprise you or was it about what you expected?

It was actually higher than I thought it would be. I was expecting maybe 40% replacement.

Oh right, I forgot about taxes. Can you have Washington ESD withhold federal taxes automatically?

Yes, you can elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you file your weekly claims.

That range is helpful to know for planning purposes. I guess I'll just have to wait for my determination letter.

You should get it within a few days of filing your initial claim. Mine came pretty quickly.

I'm definitely going to look into Claimyr if I can't get through to Washington ESD directly. Sounds like it really works.

How much does Claimyr cost? Is it worth it just to get benefit information?

For me it was worth it because I had been trying to call for weeks with no success. They focus on getting you connected, not on pricing.

I think you might be mixing up the formula. It's just the highest quarter divided by 26 in Washington state.

You're right, I was thinking of a different state's formula. Thanks for the correction.

Good reminder. I've been focusing so much on the money amount I almost forgot about the job search requirements.

And keep good records of your job search activities in case they audit you later.

That explains why I was seeing different information online. I was probably looking at other states' systems.

Yeah, every state has their own formula. Washington's system is actually pretty generous compared to some states.

That's really helpful to know for budgeting. I was worried it might be much lower.

Just remember that's before taxes if you don't elect to have them withheld.

I only used them for the benefit calculation question, but I assume they can help with any issue that requires talking to an actual Washington ESD agent.

That makes sense. I'll check out their website and see if it's worth trying.

I filed last week so hopefully I'll hear back soon with my determination letter showing the exact amount.

Make sure to keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for the determination letter or you might miss out on benefits.