Washington Wages Surge Impacting Benefits

Washington’s average annual wage soared to $99,810 in 2025 — a 4.8% jump — even as fewer workers were covered by unemployment insurance. Total earnings climbed by nearly $15.7 billion, signaling strong economic growth. These new figures directly impact unemployment benefits and paid family/medical leave: starting July 5, 2026, new unemployment claims will use the updated wage, and paid leave claims filed after Jan. 1, 2027, will too. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector led wage growth with over 12% gains, followed by finance, insurance, and the information sector — pointing to where Washington’s economy is booming. Employers face new tax thresholds too: starting Jan. 1, 2027, unemployment taxes will apply to the first $82,000 paid per employee (up from $78,200), under an experience-based system. For workers, the good news continues: minimum weekly unemployment benefits will rise to $383, and maximums to $1,208 — plus paid leave maxes will also climb in 2027. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f990fcab35b0dccd