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

The U.S. Department of Labor reported on Thursday that 65,262 Maryland residents applied for first-time unemployment benefits for the week ended May 2, 2020. That marks a increase of over 27,000 from last week’s newly-revised figure of 37,925.

Across the nation, a total of 3,169,000 filed, a decrease of 677,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 7,000 from 3,839,000 to 3,846,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,173,500, a decrease of 861,500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 1,750 from 5,033,250 to 5,035,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 15.5 percent for the week ending April 25, an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the previous week’s unrevised rate.

Officials with the Maryland Department of Labor have taken steps over past few weeks to increase capacity on the state’s new BEACON unemployment portal.  Many residents are still expressing frustration over either not being able to file or erroneously being denied benefits.

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