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Lost your job in Washington? How unemployment works

Washington pays regular unemployment insurance through the Employment Security Department. Weekly benefits run $383–$1,208 for up to 26 weeks. Total is the smaller of 26 times the weekly benefit or one-third of base-year wages. 1 unpaid waiting week. Last checked .

What to do this week

  1. File your claim now. Apply within 2 weeks of separating from your job; waiting longer may mean more questions. You may backdate a claim by up to 2 weeks when applying online. You can file online, by phone. Open the ESD filing page or call 800-318-6022 (Claims agents: Mon/Wed/Fri 8am-4pm, Tue/Thu 8am-noon; automated line Sun 12am-Fri 4pm; Washington Relay 711).
  2. Gather your records. The agency will ask for your last employers, dates and pay. To qualify: At least 680 hours of work in the base year (or alternate base year), with some wages from those hours in Washington.
  3. Start certifying every week. Weekly claim for each Sunday-Saturday week, online in eServices (Sun 12am to Sat 11:59pm) or by phone (800-318-6022); you cannot claim a week until it is over. Complete 3 job search activities each week and keep a written log (keep it at least 30 days after benefits end); sign up with WorkSource; some claimants are waived.
  4. Line up other help. Washington SNAP income limits, Washington take-home pay calculator.

Washington unemployment at a glance

Agency
Employment Security Department (ESD)
Weekly benefit
$383–$1,208 (table in force from July 5, 2026)
Most weeks
26 — Total is the smaller of 26 times the weekly benefit or one-third of base-year wages.
Waiting week
The first week you file and meet the weekly requirements is an unpaid waiting week; only one waiting week is needed per benefit year. You are paid starting with your second weekly claim.
Appeal deadline
Appeal within 30 days from the date ESD sends its decision; a late appeal needs a reason and may be dismissed.
Spanish / Chinese help
Spanish via the 'Español' link on every ESD page; help sheets in Chinese (Simplified), Arabic, Korean, Amharic, Farsi and more at https://esd.wa.gov/about-us/language-help; English/Spanish phone 800-318-6022, other languages 800-410-0758. The Unemployed Worker's Handbook has translations.

How much you could get

For new claims opened on or after July 5, 2026 the range is $383 to $1,208 (previous year $366 to $1,152). Some claimants with low wages get less than $383 because the benefit cannot exceed their average weekly wage. How it is figured: Add gross wages of the two highest base-year quarters, divide by 2, multiply by 0.0385; result is capped at the maximum and floored at the minimum, but never exceeds your average weekly wage.

At the top of the table — $1,208 a week for 26 weeks — the most a claim can pay is $31,408. That is a ceiling, not a typical claim; most people get less because the amount follows past wages.

Who qualifies

  • Base period. Standard base year: first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. Alternate base year: last four completed quarters, used if you lack 680 hours in the standard base year.
  • Work and wages. At least 680 hours of work in the base year (or alternate base year), with some wages from those hours in Washington.
  • If you quit. Quitting can qualify if you have a listed good-cause reason (for example illness, a pay or hours cut of 25% or more, domestic violence, or unfixed safety problems) and tried to keep the job unless that was useless.
  • If you were fired. Discharge for misconduct or gross misconduct means denial for at least 10 weeks after the week fired and you must earn at least 10 times your weekly benefit in covered work.
  • Part-time, gig and self-employed work. You can work part time and still get benefits; ESD uses an earnings deduction chart (DOL lists 1/4 of earnings over $5). Independent contractors have a separate ESD page; report all gross earnings each week.

Weekly certification, taxes and appeals

How to file
Apply online 24/7 in ESD eServices (needs a SAW account) or by phone at the Claims Center, 800-318-6022. WorkSource centers offer free computers; help in other languages at 800-410-0758.
Weekly certification
Weekly claim for each Sunday-Saturday week, online in eServices (Sun 12am to Sat 11:59pm) or by phone (800-318-6022); you cannot claim a week until it is over.
Work search
Complete 3 job search activities each week and keep a written log (keep it at least 30 days after benefits end); sign up with WorkSource; some claimants are waived.
Taxes
Federal withholding is optional at 10% of each weekly benefit; ESD sends a 1099-G each January and cannot refund withheld amounts.
State withholding
no (Washington has no state income tax on wages; ESD offers only 10% federal withholding)
If you are denied
Appeal online, by mail or by fax to ESD (not phone or email); hearings are held by the Office of Administrative Hearings, then Commissioner's Review Office Keep certifying every week while the appeal is pending.
Overpayments
Overpaid benefits must be repaid (monthly minimum payments, interest; Collections Unit 866-697-4831); a timely appeal of an overpayment pauses repayment until the hearing result. By law (RCW 50.20.190(2)) the Commissioner may waive an overpayment if it was not the result of fraud, misrepresentation, willful nondisclosure or fault attributable to the claimant and recovery would be against equity and good conscience.

Good to know in Washington

  • Minimum $383 is the statutory floor; a person whose estimated weekly wage is lower is paid that lower amount (ESD example: $215).
  • Strikers may be eligible under a 2025 law (SB 5041); ESD has a separate page.
  • Table effective for claims opened on/after 2026-07-05.

Sources

Legal and agency information, not legal advice. Rules and benefit tables change — confirm with ESD before you rely on a number. How we check: methodology.