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:
- How long you can receive benefits during your benefit year.
- How to submit your weekly claims.
- Paying taxes on unemployment benefits.
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.
| Quarter you applied | BY Q1 | BY Q2 | BY Q3 | BY Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. to Mar. | Oct. to Dec. | Jan. to Mar. | Apr. to Jun. | Jul. to Sept. |
| Apr. to Jun. | Jan. to Mar. | Apr. to Jun. | Jul. to Sept. | Oct. to Dec. |
| Jul. to Sept. | Apr. to Jun. | Jul. to Sept. | Oct. to Dec. | Jan. to Mar. |
| Oct. to Dec. | Jul. to Sept. | Oct. to Dec. | Jan. to Mar. | 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.
| Quarter you applied | ABY Q1 | ABY Q2 | ABY Q3 | ABY Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. to Mar. | Jan. to Mar. | Apr. to Jun. | Jul. to Sept. | Oct. to Dec. |
| Apr. to Jun. | Apr. to Jun. | Jul. to Sept. | Oct. to Dec. | Jan. to Mar. |
| Jul. to Sept. | Jul. to Sept. | Oct. to Dec. | Jan. to Mar. | Apr. to Jun. |
| Oct. to Dec. | Oct. to Dec. | Jan. to Mar. | Apr. to Jun. | Jul. to Sept. |
How to calculate your alternate base year total
- Add up your wages for each quarter in your base year or alternate base year.
- 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.
- Enter your total wages earned during those 2 quarters into the boxes below.
- Choose "Calculate" to see how much you might receive. Choose "Clear" to start over.
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.
- We combine your gross wages from the 2 quarters in your base year when you earned the most. Then we divide by 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.
- We calculate your weekly wage by taking the amount we calculated and multiplying by 4.
- We divide this number by 52 and get your weekly benefit amount.
- We compare your estimated weekly wage to $342.
- 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 |
Step 2: Multiplied by .0385 |
Step 3: Estimated weekly wage |
Step 4: Weekly benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$2,800 |
$107.80 |
$215.38 |
$215 |
|
$4,500 |
$173.25 |
$346.15 |
$342 |
|
$10,508 |
$404.56 |
$808.30 |
$404 |
|
$19,480 |
$749.98 |
$1,498.46 |
$749 |
|
$30,000 |
$1,155 |
$2,307.69 |
$1,079 |