Estimate your benefit

Your weekly benefit is the amount of money we pay you each week before any deductions. Your weekly benefit may differ from your estimate.

If you meet basic eligibility requirements, we will pay your weekly benefit each week you submit a claim.

Estimates versus actual benefits

You can estimate how much you will get each week. But you need to apply before we can tell you the exact amount.

Learn more:

Your base year

To estimate your weekly benefit amount, you need to know how much you made during your base year (BY).

Your base year is the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters (Q) before the week you applied for benefits.

For example, say you applied for unemployment benefits on Jan. 19, 2024. Your base year would include wages earned from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2023.

Quarter you applied BY Q1 BY Q2 BY Q3 BY Q4
Quarter you applied Jan. to Mar. BY Q1 Oct. to Dec. BY Q2 Jan. to Mar. BY Q3 Apr. to Jun. BY Q4 Jul. to Sept.
Quarter you applied Apr. to Jun. BY Q1 Jan. to Mar. BY Q2 Apr. to Jun. BY Q3 Jul. to Sept. BY Q4 Oct. to Dec.
Quarter you applied Jul. to Sept. BY Q1 Apr. to Jun. BY Q2 Jul. to Sept. BY Q3 Oct. to Dec. BY Q4 Jan. to Mar.
Quarter you applied Oct. to Dec. BY Q1 Jul. to Sept. BY Q2 Oct. to Dec. BY Q3 Jan. to Mar. BY Q4 Apr. to Jun.

Alternate base year

You need to have 680 hours of work in your base year. If you didn't work 680 hours, you may be eligible for an alternate base year (ABY) claim. This uses the last 4 completed calendar quarters before the week you filed your claim.

To qualify for benefits, you still need 680 hours of work in your alternate base year. You also need to meet basic eligibility requirements.

For example, say you applied for Unemployment benefits on Jan. 19, 2024. However, you did not work 680 hours in your base year. Your alternate base year would then include wages earned from Jan 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023.
Quarter you applied ABY Q1 ABY Q2 ABY Q3 ABY Q4
Quarter you applied Jan. to Mar. ABY Q1 Jan. to Mar. ABY Q2 Apr. to Jun. ABY Q3 Jul. to Sept. ABY Q4 Oct. to Dec.
Quarter you applied Apr. to Jun. ABY Q1 Apr. to Jun. ABY Q2 Jul. to Sept. ABY Q3 Oct. to Dec. ABY Q4 Jan. to Mar.
Quarter you applied Jul. to Sept. ABY Q1 Jul. to Sept. ABY Q2 Oct. to Dec. ABY Q3 Jan. to Mar. ABY Q4 Apr. to Jun.
Quarter you applied Oct. to Dec. ABY Q1 Oct. to Dec. ABY Q2 Jan. to Mar. ABY Q3 Apr. to Jun. ABY Q4 Jul. to Sept.

How to calculate your alternate base year total

  1. Add up your wages for each quarter in your base year or alternate base year.
  2. Find the 2 quarters when you earned the most.

Estimate your weekly benefit amount

Once you identify the 2 quarters when you earned the most, you can estimate your weekly benefit amount.

  1. Enter your total wages earned during those 2 quarters into the boxes below.
  2. Choose "Calculate" to see how much you might receive. Choose "Clear" to start over.

First high Quarter:
Second high Quarter:
 
Your weekly benefit amount:
 

If you have partial earnings for a week you claim, use the earnings deduction chart (PDF, 229 KB) to determine how much you may get.

Estimate your total benefit amount

Once you know your weekly benefit amount, you can estimate the total amount of benefits we might pay you on your claim. Find this by taking the smaller of either:

  • 26 times your weekly benefit amount.
  • 1/3 of the total gross (before tax) wages in all 4 quarters of your base year.

How we calculate your weekly benefit amount

We use this formula when we calculate your weekly benefit amount. The formula is not based on financial need.

  1. We combine your gross wages from the 2 quarters in your base year when you earned the most. Then we divide by 2.
  2. We multiply this number by 0.0385. If the number is:
    • More than Washington's official maximum weekly benefit amount of $1,079, you will get $1,079.
    • Between $342 and not more than $1,079, you will get this amount, rounded down to the nearest dollar.
    • Less than $342, we go to step 3.
  3. We calculate your weekly wage by taking the amount we calculated and multiplying by 4.
  4. We divide this number by 52 and get your weekly benefit amount.
  5. We compare your estimated weekly wage to $342.
  6. You will get the lesser amount, rounded down to the nearest dollar.

Examples of how we calculate a weekly benefit amount

Step 1:

Average of 2 quarters
when you earned the most

Step 2:

Multiplied by .0385

Step 3:

Estimated weekly wage

Step 4:

Weekly benefit
amount

Step 1:

Average of 2 quarters
when you earned the most

$2,800

Step 2:

Multiplied by .0385

$107.80

Step 3:

Estimated weekly wage

$215.38

Step 4:

Weekly benefit
amount

$215

Step 1:

Average of 2 quarters
when you earned the most

$4,500

Step 2:

Multiplied by .0385

$173.25

Step 3:

Estimated weekly wage

$346.15

Step 4:

Weekly benefit
amount

$342

Step 1:

Average of 2 quarters
when you earned the most

$10,508

Step 2:

Multiplied by .0385

$404.56

Step 3:

Estimated weekly wage

$808.30

Step 4:

Weekly benefit
amount

$404

Step 1:

Average of 2 quarters
when you earned the most

$19,480

Step 2:

Multiplied by .0385

$749.98

Step 3:

Estimated weekly wage

$1,498.46

Step 4:

Weekly benefit
amount

$749

Step 1:

Average of 2 quarters
when you earned the most

$30,000

Step 2:

Multiplied by .0385

$1,155

Step 3:

Estimated weekly wage

$2,307.69

Step 4:

Weekly benefit
amount

$1,079