What percentage of your income do you get on Washington ESD unemployment benefits?
I'm about to file my first unemployment claim and trying to figure out how much I'll actually receive. Does anyone know what percentage of your previous income Washington ESD pays out? I was making about $4,200 a month at my last job and really need to know what to expect so I can budget accordingly. Also wondering if there's a maximum amount they'll pay regardless of how much you were earning?
46 comments
Join the conversation
Brady Clean
Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your highest earning quarter from the past year. It's roughly 3.85% of your total wages in that quarter, but there's a minimum of $295 per week and maximum of $999 per week as of 2025. So if you were making $4,200 monthly consistently, you'd likely hit close to the maximum.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•Thanks! So it's not really a straight percentage of your income then? That's confusing but at least there's a decent maximum.
0 coins
Skylar Neal
•yeah the calculation is weird, i thought it would be like 50% or something simple but nope
0 coins
Vincent Bimbach
The formula is actually pretty complex. They look at your base year earnings (the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters before you file) and use your highest quarter. Then they divide that by 26 weeks to get your weekly benefit amount, but it has to fall within those minimum and maximum limits I mentioned.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•This is way more complicated than I expected. Do they explain this calculation anywhere on the Washington ESD website?
0 coins
Vincent Bimbach
•Yes, there's a benefit calculator on their site, but honestly it's not super user-friendly. You might want to just call them directly.
0 coins
Kelsey Chin
Good luck getting through to Washington ESD on the phone! I've been trying for weeks to get answers about my claim and can never reach anyone. The hold times are insane and half the time they just hang up on you automatically.
0 coins
Norah Quay
•I had the same problem until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They actually get you through to a real Washington ESD agent without the endless hold times. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration.
0 coins
Kelsey Chin
•Interesting, never heard of that. Is it legit? I'm desperate at this point.
0 coins
Norah Quay
•Yeah it's totally legitimate. They just handle the calling part for you and connect you when an agent is available. Way better than sitting on hold all day.
0 coins
Leo McDonald
I was making around $3,800 per month and my weekly benefit is $847. So it definitely varies based on your work history and which quarters they use for the calculation. The percentage thing doesn't really apply since it's based on that quarterly formula.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•That actually sounds like a decent amount! How long did it take for your claim to get approved?
0 coins
Leo McDonald
•About 2 weeks, but I had a pretty straightforward layoff situation. If there are any complications they put it into adjudication which can take much longer.
0 coins
Jessica Nolan
whatever you do make sure you report ALL your income accurately when you file. I made a mistake on my application and now they're saying I owe back $2,100 in overpayments. The whole system is designed to trip you up I swear.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•Yikes, that's scary. What kind of mistake did you make?
0 coins
Jessica Nolan
•I didn't report some freelance work properly. Thought it didn't count since it was only like $300 but apparently everything has to be reported exactly right.
0 coins
Brady Clean
•You can appeal overpayment determinations if you think they made an error. Don't just accept it without reviewing their calculations.
0 coins
Skylar Neal
i been on unemployment 3 times over the years and the amount always seems random lol. first time got like $400/week, second time $650, this time $580. depends on your work history i guess
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•Were you making similar amounts each time you filed?
0 coins
Skylar Neal
•not really, had different jobs with different pay. the higher paying job definitely got me more benefits but not proportionally if that makes sense
0 coins
Angelina Farar
The percentage question comes up a lot but it's not how Washington ESD works. Unlike some other states that do a straight percentage, we use this base year/highest quarter system. It usually works out to somewhere between 40-60% of your average weekly earnings, but that's just a rough estimate.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•40-60% is actually pretty helpful as a ballpark figure. Thanks for putting it in perspective!
0 coins
Sebastián Stevens
•That's about right in my experience. I was averaging around $1,100 per week and getting $620 in benefits, so about 56%.
0 coins
Bethany Groves
Don't forget you'll also need to do the job search requirements to keep getting benefits. It's 3 job search activities per week now, and they do audit them sometimes. Keep good records of where you apply and when.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•Good point, I almost forgot about that part. Do I need to use WorkSourceWA for the job searches?
0 coins
Bethany Groves
•You can use WorkSourceWA but it's not required. Just need to document 3 activities per week - applications, networking, job fairs, interviews, etc.
0 coins
KingKongZilla
•they're pretty strict about this now, i got a warning letter for not having enough detail in my job search log
0 coins
Rebecca Johnston
I've been getting the maximum weekly amount ($999) and honestly it's been a lifesaver while I look for work. The key is having consistent high earnings in your base year. If you had any quarters with lower pay it'll bring down your benefit amount.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•How high were your earnings to get the maximum? I'm trying to figure out if I'll qualify for that much.
0 coins
Rebecca Johnston
•I was making about $6,500 per month consistently. The maximum kicks in when your highest quarter earnings are around $25,900 or higher.
0 coins
Nathan Dell
Just a heads up - if you're thinking about unemployment benefits, file as soon as possible after you lose your job. There's a one week waiting period before benefits start, and you can't backdate claims very far. Every week you wait is money you're losing.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•Good to know! I'm still employed but expecting a layoff next month. Can I file before my last day of work?
0 coins
Nathan Dell
•No, you have to wait until your actual last day of work. But file immediately that day, don't wait around thinking about it.
0 coins
Maya Jackson
The Washington ESD benefit calculator on their website is actually pretty accurate once you figure out how to use it. You'll need your quarterly wage statements or tax info to get an accurate estimate though.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•I'll definitely check that out. Hopefully it's easier to use than their phone system!
0 coins
Tristan Carpenter
•The calculator is definitely easier than calling. Though if you do need to call for something specific, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier actually works. Used it last week to check on my claim status.
0 coins
Amaya Watson
One thing to keep in mind is that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld (10% federal) or pay at the end of the year. I learned this the hard way and owed a bunch come tax time.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•Oh wow, I hadn't thought about taxes at all. Thanks for the warning!
0 coins
Grant Vikers
•yeah definitely have them withhold taxes unless you want a surprise bill later. i always forget about this part when calculating my budget
0 coins
Giovanni Martello
The benefit amount can also change if you go back to work part-time while collecting. They have this formula where they reduce your benefits based on what you earn, but you can still collect something as long as you're under a certain threshold.
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•That's good to know in case I find part-time work while looking for something full-time.
0 coins
Giovanni Martello
•Yeah, you can earn up to about 1.5 times your weekly benefit amount before they cut you off completely. But report everything accurately or you'll get in trouble later.
0 coins
Savannah Weiner
Bottom line - there's no simple percentage answer because Washington ESD uses a complex calculation based on your work history. Your best bet is to use their online calculator or call them directly for an accurate estimate. Just be prepared for long hold times if you call!
0 coins
Molly Hansen
•Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Sounds like I need to gather my wage info and use that calculator.
0 coins
Levi Parker
•Good luck with your claim! The process can be confusing but once you get through the initial filing it's pretty straightforward.
0 coins
Libby Hassan
•If you run into any issues getting through to Washington ESD, definitely check out that Claimyr thing. Wish I'd known about it sooner - would have saved me so much time on hold.
0 coins