Washington Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular Washington unemployment pays $383 to $1,208 a week for 1 to 26 weeks. Enter your wages for the four quarters of your base period to estimate your weekly benefit, your maximum total benefit and which rule capped it.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Formulas and sources checked October 19, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Weekly benefit range (October 19, 2026)
$383 to $1,208
Effective July 5, 2026
Maximum weeks
1 to 26
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Not taxed by the state
Federal income tax applies in every state
Washington unemployment benefit calculator
Which months are my four quarters?
The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. The quarter you file in, and the one just before it, are left out. Enter the quarters in order, oldest first. Each quarter is three calendar months: January to March, April to June, July to September, October to December.
| If you file in | Your base period is |
|---|---|
| January to March 2026 | October 2024 to September 2025 |
| April to June 2026 | January to December 2025 |
| July to September 2026 | April 2025 to March 2026 |
| October to December 2026 | July 2025 to June 2026 |
Use gross wages (before taxes) from every covered job, in the quarter they were earned. If your wages are too low under this period, many states test an alternate base period made of the last four completed quarters.
Enter your wages above to see your Washington estimate.
The state also runs its own estimator: ESD estimate your benefit page.
How much does unemployment pay in Washington?
Washington averages your two highest base year quarters and multiplies by 3.85 percent. The result is rounded down to the dollar.
For claims effective on or after July 5, 2026 the maximum is $1,208 and the minimum is $383. The maximum is the greater of $496 or 63 percent of the average weekly wage, and the minimum is 20 percent of it, reset each July.
If 3.85 percent comes to less than the minimum, you get the lesser of the minimum and your estimated weekly wage (the average of your two highest quarters times 4, divided by 52), rounded down.
If you did not work 680 hours in the base year, ESD can use an alternate base year made of the last four completed quarters. You still need 680 hours in that year.
Washington unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. Washington also decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own and whether you are able and available to work.
- At least 680 hours of work in the base year (or the alternate base year).
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
The maximum benefit amount is the lower of 26 times the weekly amount and one-third of base year wages, so a claim can run from 1 to 26 weeks.
Working part time while collecting
Washington deducts 75 percent of weekly earnings above $5, rounded up to the next dollar, from your weekly benefit amount. If the deduction equals or exceeds the weekly amount, no payment is made for that week.
Are Washington unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. Washington has no state income tax on wages or unemployment benefits. Benefits are taxable on your federal return.
How to apply in Washington
Apply with an ESD eServices account. ESD publishes its own estimate page with the same formula.
Apply for unemployment benefits at Washington ESD
When this changes: Washington resets the maximum and minimum every July, for claims effective on or after the first Sunday of July. Maximum and minimum reset every July for claims effective on or after the first Sunday of July.
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in Washington?
Regular Washington unemployment pays between $383 and $1,208 a week as of October 19, 2026. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. Washington averages your two highest base year quarters and multiplies by 3.85 percent. The result is rounded down to the dollar.
How is the Washington weekly benefit amount calculated?
Washington averages your two highest base year quarters and multiplies by 3.85 percent. The result is rounded down to the dollar. For claims effective on or after July 5, 2026 the maximum is $1,208 and the minimum is $383. The maximum is the greater of $496 or 63 percent of the average weekly wage, and the minimum is 20 percent of it, reset each July. If 3.85 percent comes to less than the minimum, you get the lesser of the minimum and your estimated weekly wage (the average of your two highest quarters times 4, divided by 52), rounded down.
How long can I collect unemployment in Washington?
The maximum benefit amount is the lower of 26 times the weekly amount and one-third of base year wages, so a claim can run from 1 to 26 weeks.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in Washington?
Washington has no state income tax on wages or unemployment benefits. Benefits are taxable on your federal return.
Can I work part time and still get Washington unemployment?
Washington deducts 75 percent of weekly earnings above $5, rounded up to the next dollar, from your weekly benefit amount. If the deduction equals or exceeds the weekly amount, no payment is made for that week.
Does the Washington maximum change every year?
Yes. RCW 50.20.120 sets the maximum and minimum each June 30 for benefit years that begin in the next twelve months. For claims effective on or after July 5, 2026 the range is $383 to $1,208, up from $366 to $1,152.
Sources for Washington
- Washington ESD: Estimate your benefitFormula, $383 and $1,208, five worked examples reproduced in our tests, 680 hours
- RCW 50.20.120, Amount of benefits3.85 percent, 26 weeks or one-third, rounding down, annual limits
- ESD: Earnings deduction chart (effective July 5, 2026)Partial-benefit deduction, all 747 rows checked in our tests
- U.S. DOL, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (July 2026)Cross-check of minimum, maximum, weeks and the partial-benefit disregard
Sources checked October 19, 2026.