BALTIMORE, MD—The number of Marylanders filing for first-time unemployment benefits dropped compared to the prior week.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported on Thursday that 36,471 Maryland residents applied for first-time unemployment benefits for the week ended April 25, 2020. That marks a decrease from last week’s figure, which was revised upward to 48,495.

It’s important to note that many Marylanders have simply not been able to file, as the newly-revamped Maryland Department of Labor unemployment portal has been plagued with problems since its rollout last week.  The department has since announced efforts to improve the portal and decrease outages.

Across the nation, a total of 3,839,000 filed, a decrease of 603,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 15,000 from 4,427,000 to 4,442,000. The 4-week moving average was5,033,250, a decrease of 757,000 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 3,750 from 5,786,500 to 5,790,250.

Maryland’s unemployment insurance fund is funded by the payroll taxes that state employers pay.