More Than 48K New Unemployment Claims Filed In Maryland Last Week
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Maryland officials reported 48,963 new unemployment claims in the week ending on May 23.
That's slightly down from the previous week when there were 51,108 claims.
At a news conference Wednesday evening, Hogan laid some of the blame for Maryland residents' struggles to get benefits with the federal government, saying not all of the factors causing delays are under the state's control.
"This problem of unemployment is the one that's extremely difficult because so many people are really suffering," Hogan said.
The governor said he's frustrated that people aren't able to immediately get the money they need, adding both the implementation of the new requirements and the application process for residents have been confusing.
Hogan acknowledged the state's implementation of its new one-stop online filing application was rocky but said most of the issues have since been resolved. He also added the state has hired 250 new people to process claims and added 450 additional phone lines for those trying to get help.
The technical issues alone weren't the major issue, he said.
"They've changed guidelines at the federal level 12 times since the program came out a few weeks ago," Hogan said, adding the federal requirement that people have to re-file each week has led to "tremendous difficulties."
Of the hundreds of thousands of filers, more than 100,000 weren't able to do so online and needed to talk to a person over the phone, he said. Others who were expecting to receive benefits may not qualify.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
