What's the max weekly unemployment benefit amount in Washington ESD right now?

Thanks! That's higher than I expected. Do you know how they calculate it exactly?

They take your highest quarter earnings, divide by 26, then that's your weekly benefit rate up to the $999 max.

I had the same problem last month! Couldn't get through on the phone at all. What worked for me was using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they actually got me connected to a Washington ESD agent within like 20 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ

Try calling right when they open at 8am, that's when I finally got through

So if my highest quarter was around $20k, I'd get about $769 per week?

Exactly right! $20,000 divided by 26 equals approximately $769 per week.

wait i thought it was different than that? my friend got way less than what that formula would give

For a claim filed in January 2025, your base period would be October 2023 through September 2024. If you don't have enough wages in that period, they might use an alternate base period.

Oh no, I only started working in March 2024. Does that mean I won't qualify?

You might still qualify under the alternate base period, which would be January 2024 through December 2024. Contact Washington ESD to check your eligibility.

The $999 is just the regular state unemployment benefit. There's no federal supplement right now like there was during COVID.

Okay good to know, thanks for clarifying that

I feel you on this. The adjudication process is a nightmare right now.

Have you tried reaching out through Claimyr? I used them when my claim was stuck in adjudication and finally got answers about what documents they needed.

Never heard of that, what is it exactly?

How long did it take to get your first payment?

About 3 weeks from when I filed, but that was because I had a small issue they needed to verify

Washington adjusts the maximum benefit amount annually based on average wages. It's been increasing over the past few years.

Yeah it was $929 in 2024 I think, so $999 is the new amount for 2025

Your benefit amount is based on total wages earned, not whether you worked full-time or part-time. So if your quarterly wages were high enough, you could potentially get the maximum.

That makes sense, thanks!

The $999 is before taxes. You can choose to have federal and state taxes withheld from your benefits, or you can pay them when you file your tax return.

I'd recommend having them withhold taxes. Otherwise you might owe a big chunk at tax time.

Your weekly benefit amount stays the same throughout your benefit year, unless you have earnings from part-time work that reduce your benefits for that week.

Got it, that's helpful to know for budgeting purposes

Interesting, that's less than the maximum even with a higher salary than mine

Yeah my income was really uneven because of commission, so my highest quarter wasn't as high as you'd expect

How long did it take them to get you connected?

About 15 minutes. Way better than the hours I spent trying to call myself.

Good luck with your claim! Hope it goes smoothly for you.