What percentage of your income is unemployment in Washington - calculating benefit amounts

So it's not just 50% of my current salary? That's confusing - how do I figure out what my highest quarter was?

Right, it's more complex than that. Your base period is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you file. You'll need to look at your quarterly earnings from each employer during that time.

40% sounds about right for most people I know who've been on unemployment. The maximum is pretty high now but most people don't hit it.

Yeah exactly. And trying to call Washington ESD to ask questions about the calculation was impossible - always busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting for hours.

Never heard of that service before. Did it actually work for getting through to talk to someone at Washington ESD?

Yeah, it connected me within about 30 minutes when I'd been trying to call for weeks. The agent was able to pull up my claim and explain exactly how they calculated my weekly benefit amount.

That sounds too good to be true honestly. How much does something like that cost?

That's helpful context. I'm hoping to get at least $400-500 weekly to cover my basic expenses.

With your income level, you'll probably be somewhere in that range, maybe a bit higher depending on your base period quarters.

Good point - I didn't think about the tax implications. Can you have taxes withheld automatically?

Yes, you can elect to have 10% withheld for federal taxes when you file your weekly claims. Definitely recommend it unless you want to save up for a big tax bill.

That's really helpful real-world data. Sounds like I should expect somewhere in the $400-600 range based on my salary.

Those numbers sound about right. The formula is complicated but most people end up in that 35-50% range of their previous income.

Yeah, and remember you can collect for up to 26 weeks in Washington, or potentially longer if there are extensions available.

I tried the online calculator and it seemed confusing. Maybe I should just wait until I actually file to see what happens.

That's probably the safest approach. The actual calculation considers a lot of factors that the online tool doesn't capture accurately.

Yeah I wasn't expecting the maximum. Just trying to get a realistic estimate for budgeting purposes.

Smart thinking. Better to underestimate and be pleasantly surprised than overestimate and come up short on bills.

How do you check if your wages were reported correctly to Washington ESD?

You can request a wage transcript from Washington ESD or check your Social Security earnings record online. Compare that to your W2s and pay stubs.

Good advice. Wage reporting errors are more common than people think and can significantly impact your weekly benefit amount.

I hadn't thought about timing the application. How do you know when the quarters end?

Quarters end March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. If you just finished a high-earning quarter, you might want to wait for it to be processed.

That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier. It's frustrating trying to reach Washington ESD the normal way. The service basically handles the calling and waiting for you.

I might have to try that. I've wasted so many hours trying to get through to ask one simple question about my benefit amount.

True, I guess I'm overthinking it. I just want to have some idea for financial planning.

Totally understand. For rough planning purposes, assume 40-45% of your current income and you'll probably be close.

Good reminder. I'll need to track all my applications and interviews properly.

Yeah, keep detailed records. Washington ESD can audit your job search activities and you need to prove you're meeting the requirements.

The WorkSourceWA website is helpful for tracking job search activities if you need to log everything.

I do have some vacation time that would be paid out. How does that impact the unemployment calculation?

It doesn't change your weekly benefit amount, but it creates a waiting period before you can start collecting. You'll need to report any severance or vacation pay when you file.

That range is really helpful for planning. Thanks everyone for all the detailed responses - this gives me a much better idea of what to expect.

Glad we could help. Remember to file as soon as you're eligible - there's a one-week waiting period in Washington so don't delay unnecessarily.

Exactly. And make sure you understand the weekly filing requirements before you start. Missing a week can mess up your benefit payments.

That's really helpful to hear from someone with a similar salary! $523 per week sounds reasonable for budgeting purposes. Did you find the documentation process straightforward, or were there any surprises? I'm trying to get all my paperwork organized before I potentially need to file.