What's the weekly unemployment benefit amount in Washington ESD for 2025?

Washington ESD calculates your weekly benefit amount based on your earnings from the last 4 quarters. The minimum weekly benefit is $295 and the maximum is $999 for 2025. Your benefit will be roughly 3.85% of your total wages from your base year, divided by 52 weeks. With your salary, you're probably looking at somewhere around $450-500 per week, but it depends on your exact earnings history.

The benefit calculator on the Washington ESD website never worked right for me. I had to call them three times just to get a straight answer about my weekly amount. Kept getting busy signals and hang-ups.

just got approved last week and my weekly benefit is $387. made about 45k last year so sounds like yours will be higher

Keep in mind that your benefit amount also depends on whether you had any gaps in employment or worked multiple jobs. Washington ESD looks at all your W-2 wages during the base year period. If you had consistent employment at that salary level, you should qualify for a decent benefit amount.

Don't forget you can get up to 26 weeks of benefits in Washington, so even if your weekly amount is on the lower side, it can really help bridge the gap while job searching.

Make sure you file as soon as possible too. Washington ESD doesn't pay retroactively from when you lost your job, only from when you actually file your claim. I learned that the hard way and lost out on two weeks of benefits.

The whole system is so confusing. I've been trying to understand how they calculate benefits for weeks and still don't get it. Why can't they just make it simple like 60% of your previous salary or something?

For what it's worth, I used an online calculator I found and it was pretty close to what Washington ESD actually approved me for. Search for 'Washington unemployment benefit calculator' and you'll find a few unofficial ones that can give you a ballpark estimate.

Another thing to remember is that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld or pay them later, but don't forget about that when budgeting.

btw if you're having trouble getting through to washington esd about your benefit amount, that claimyr thing someone mentioned earlier actually works. used it last month when i had questions about my claim

I'm in a similar situation but I had two part-time jobs instead of one full-time job. Does anyone know if that affects the benefit calculation differently?

Make sure you have your Social Security number and all your employment information ready when you file. The application asks for details about every job you had in the last 18 months, including employer addresses and dates of employment.

Does anyone know if the benefit amounts get adjusted for inflation or cost of living? $999 maximum seems low for 2025 in Washington state.

I was laid off from a tech job making $85k and my weekly benefit is $999, so I'm getting the maximum. Even at the max, it's a big pay cut, but it's better than nothing while I job search.

Quick question - do they count commission or bonuses in the benefit calculation, or just base salary?

One more tip - if you think Washington ESD calculated your benefit amount wrong, you can appeal the decision. I had a friend who got his weekly amount increased by $50 after appealing because they missed some wages from a previous employer.

this whole thread has been super helpful! i was totally lost about how much i might get but now i have a much better idea of what to expect when i file my claim

Just remember that the weekly benefit amount is only part of the equation. You also need to keep up with the job search requirements and file your weekly claims on time to keep receiving benefits. Washington ESD is pretty strict about those requirements.

If you need help navigating the Washington ESD system or have specific questions about your benefit calculation, I found Claimyr really useful for getting connected to an actual person at ESD. Way better than spending hours on hold trying to call directly.

Bottom line - with your salary history, you're probably looking at $450-550 per week in benefits. File your claim as soon as possible and don't stress too much about the exact calculation until you get your official determination from Washington ESD.