65,805 New Unemployment Claims Tallied In MD Amid Coronavirus

MARYLAND — An estimated 65,805 Marylanders filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week, the Maryland Department of Labor reported Thursday, pushing the eight-week jobless total to more than 562,500.

The latest figure, which covers the week ending May 9, represents a 39.7 percent decrease from the 109,263 jobless claims that were filed the prior week.

Last week, the state began including claims made through two federal programs: the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance — which is reserved for gig workers and independent contractors who otherwise are ineligible for regular jobless benefits — and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation — which is for eligible claimants who have exhausted their other benefits.

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For the week ending May 9, some 18,984 people filed for PUA claims. Another 1,112 applied for PEUC benefits.

Montgomery County, the state's most populous jurisdiction, had the highest number of PUA claims, with 3,168. It also had the overall highest number of first-time unemployment filings last week. The total: 10,391.

At 183, Baltimore County had the most PEUC applicants in the state.

Marylanders can now apply for PUA, PEUC, and regular unemployment insurance benefits on the state's BEACON One-Stop application system. Click here to learn more about the application process.

Here's how many people in each county filed first-time unemployment claims last week:

Here's how many people filed over an eight-week period, statewide:

Nationwide, nearly 3 million people applied for first-time unemployment benefits last week as stay-at-home orders continue to shutter businesses and restaurants.

Now that states are starting to reopen, there's a debate over how quickly the economy can rebound.

The Trump administration maintains that Americans will spend more money on shopping, dining, and entertainment as more states relax their coronavirus restrictions. Economists, however, worry that the fear of getting COVID-19 may do more damage to the economy than the stay-at-home orders, The Associated Press reports.

Although Georgia recently reopened its restaurants for sit-down dining, data from OpenTable reveals that reservations are still 91 percent below its pre-pandemic level, according to AP.

"Simply ending lockdowns is not going to be a panacea for these companies," Adam Ozimek, chief economist at Upwork, said. "People aren’t going out because they don't feel safe yet."

SEE ALSO:

• MD Adds 1,091 New Coronavirus Cases As Reopening Approaches
  
• MD Stay-At-Home Order To Be Lifted; Some Jurisdictions To Reopen
• Maryland Schools To Close For Rest Of Spring: Coronavirus