UPDATE: This post has been edited to include those filing for Pandemic Unemployment Insurance.

Original story below…

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

The U.S. Department of Labor reported on Thursday that 51,108 Maryland residents applied for first-time unemployment benefits for the week ended May 16, 2020. That marks a decrease of 14,697 from the prior week.

Across the nation, a total of 2,438,000 filed, a decrease of 249,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised downward by 249,000 from 2,981,000 to 2,687,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,042,500, a decrease of 501,000 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised down by 73,500 from 3,616,500 to 3,543,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 17.2 percent for the week ending May 9, an increase of 1.7 percentage points from the previous week’s revised rate.

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