ANNAPOLIS, Md. — For the first time in four weeks, the Maryland Department of Labor has updated its weekly unemployment insurance claim numbers.
During the week ending June 12 -- 14,233 people filed initial unemployment claims.
Numbers for the prior three weeks are listed identically at 15,182.
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According to a State Labor Department spokesperson, exact numbers for those three weeks are being withheld while the U.S. Department of Labor conducts an investigation into potentially fraudulent claims, at which point they will be revised and released publicly.
But, the U.S. Department of Labor disputed that claim telling WMAR-2 News, "The U.S. Department of Labor is not evaluating the submission. When a state submits data with a significant variance from the previous week, the department may ask for an explanation of the change and offer technical assistance."
This is how the State Labor Department's own website reads under the unemployment numbers breakdowns for the weeks ending on May 22, May 29, and June 5.
"The numbers for the week are being evaluated. Per the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Labor, new weekly claim numbers for the week ending May 22 were submitted as a temporary estimate. The numbers for the week ending May 29 will be revised and available at a later date."
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As of June 15 -- 1,272,959 out-of-state and in-state unemployment insurance claims have been flagged. Of those, 91.57 percent (1,165,645) have been deemed fraudulent. Only 68,971 have ended up getting approved. Currently 38,343 are still pending review.
