When will Washington ESD unemployment benefits increase - any updates on rate changes?

Do you know when they typically announce the new rates? I'm trying to budget for the rest of the year.

They usually announce it in late spring or early summer, but implementation can vary. The rates are tied to economic data so there's always some lag time.

Really? Mine stayed the same. Maybe it depends on when your claim started?

yeah could be, i started my claim in december so maybe i got the new rate automatically

How much did that service cost you? Seems like something they should just tell us automatically.

Worth it to actually get answers instead of calling 50 times a day. They don't publish a clear schedule for rate increases anywhere I could find.

Thanks for the tip! I've been trying to call for two weeks about this and other questions about my claim.

I feel you on this. The cost of living keeps going up but benefits barely budge.

Exactly! And then they wonder why people stay on unemployment longer. It's not enough to live on but too much to qualify for other assistance.

That's true, but when rent alone is $1800+ in most areas, even the maximum doesn't go very far.

Agreed, cost of living adjustments don't seem to keep pace with actual housing costs here.

No, job search requirements and benefit rate increases are completely separate. Rate increases are automatic based on state wage data, not individual compliance.

ok good to know, was worried i was missing something

Even a small increase would help at this point. Every dollar matters when you're trying to stretch benefits.

Same here, any increase is better than nothing

That's actually a good idea. I hadn't thought about going through elected officials.

Yeah, they often have direct lines to agency heads and can get answers faster than calling the main number.

That's correct. Washington ESD uses the Average Annual Wage to calculate both the maximum benefit amount and the wage base for employers. When average wages go up statewide, maximum benefits can increase too.

makes sense, so if wages are going up then benefits should too eventually

Wow thank you for that breakdown! So there was an increase this year, just not a huge one.

That's really helpful info. Where do you find those historical numbers?

I dig through the Washington ESD annual reports and sometimes call to verify. It's not always posted clearly on their main site.

Typically it's annual, but there have been emergency adjustments during economic crises. The regular schedule is once per benefit year though.

Got it, so probably nothing until next year then unless something major happens economically.

Good to know! I was wondering if I'd have to do extra paperwork or something.

That's convenient at least. One less thing to worry about with Washington ESD.

Same! I should probably log into my account and check my payment history.

Yeah definitely worth checking. Even a small increase adds up over time.

Perfect! I'll check my January payments vs December to see if there was an increase I missed.

Thanks for following up on that. Saves the rest of us from having to call.

That makes sense. I was making about $55k before so probably not near the maximum calculation anyway.

Yeah the increases mainly help people who were making $70k+ before losing their jobs.