10,314 ​New MD Unemployment Claims Tallied Mark 7.3% Increase

MARYLAND — Another 10,314 Marylanders sought jobless benefits for the first time last week, the state's labor department reported Thursday.

The latest figure, which covers the week ending April 10, represents a 7.3 percent increase from the 9,612 initial unemployment claims that were filed the prior week. It also pushes the total number of filings since March 2020 to more than 1.78 million.

While the number of initial filings has dropped substantially from its peak in May 2020, it is still high by historical standards.

Prior to the pandemic, jobless claims in Maryland hovered between 2,000 and 6,500 per week. During the public health crisis, however, these numbers have fluctuated between 2,090 and 109,263. The all-time pandemic high was for the week ending May 2, 2020.

Of the 10,314 workers who applied last week, 909 filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) — a federal program for gig workers, contractors, and other self-employed people who otherwise are ineligible for regular jobless benefits.

Claims filed for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) — a federal program that provides an additional 13 weeks of pay to workers who've exhausted their other benefits — was 994.