ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Unemployment insurance claims continue to be filed in Maryland amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but last week was the third straight where the number of claims dropped.
On Thursday the Maryland Department of Labor said 37,225 citizens filed, down from 47,545 the week before, and 61,770 and 108,508 respectively, the prior two weeks.
Last weeks numbers include only the first two days of when Maryland's "one stop" online Beacon system opened. Since launching, the system has been riddled with problems causing many to not be able to file a claim.
READ MORE: Maryland Department of Labor apologizes for flawed unemployment site
Since March 1-- 387,554 people in the state have filed for unemployment. In the years 2018 and 2019 combined, only 446,883 people in Maryland filed.
Recently the Department of Labor began hiring additional workers to help process the backlog and massive amount of incoming claims.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor says 3.8 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, bringing the total number to 30 million over the last six-weeks. The news comes a day after the Commerce Department estimated that the U.S. economy had shrunk nearly five percent.
If you need help filing for unemployment through the Beacon System, click here.
A full breakdown of last week's unemployment numbers can be read below.
