MD's First-Time Unemployment Claims Top 758K Amid Pandemic

MARYLAND — Another 53,464 Marylanders filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week, the state's Labor Department reported Thursday, pushing the 12-week jobless total to more than 758,900.

The latest figure, which covers the week ending June 6, marks an increase of 10,369 initial jobless claims from the previous week and breaks a four-week streak of declining filings. Those dips in first-time unemployment claims follow a 193.5 percent spike in early May.

That spike can be attributed to the state's implementation of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation. Both programs were created through the CARES Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27.

PUA lets gig workers, independent contractors, and other self-employed people — who otherwise are ineligible for regular jobless benefits and cannot work due to COVID-19 — receive federally financed unemployment benefits. Those who qualify under PUA will receive up to 39 weeks of benefits, effective Jan. 27, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2020.

PEUC, on the other hand, provides 13 weeks of benefits to eligible claimants who have exhausted their other benefits.

Marylanders can apply for either regular or CARES Act unemployment insurance benefits through the state's BEACON One-Stop application system.

Of the 53,464 first-time jobless claims filed last week, 9,762 were for PUA and 1,390 were for PEUC, according to state data.

Prince George's County — one of the hardest-hit jurisdictions in Maryland during the coronavirus pandemic — had the highest number of PUA claims, with 1,723. It also had the overall highest number of first-time unemployment filings last week. The total: 8,221.

At 237, Baltimore County had the most PEUC applicants in the state.

Here's how many people in each county filed regular unemployment claims last week:

Here's how many people filed over an 12-week period, statewide: