The average yearly wage in Washington state last year increased 3.4 percent to $46,256, the Washington State Employment Security Department announced Thursday.
The $1,535 increase isn’t as large as the one that preceded it, largely due to the impeding recession. In 2007, the average wage increased by 5 percent.
No matter how small, the increase will mean good things for jobless workers collecting unemployment. The annual average is used to compute benefits for eligible workers, and those benefits will be going up starting July 5.
The minimum weekly unemployment benefit will increase to $133 for new claims. The maximum weekly benefit will now be $560. But with the temporary increase, claims filed between June 5 and the end of this year will have a weekly payout range between $225 and $630.
About 25 percent of eligible jobless workers receive the maximum benefit amount, according to the state employment department. Only about 6 percent receive the minimum.
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