Coronavirus Latest: More Than 37K Marylanders Filed For Unemployment Last Week

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- More than 37,000 Marylanders filed for unemployment last week.

According to new numbers released Thursday, 37,225 residents filed with the state's Department of Labor.

The number dropped nearly 10,000 from the previous week when more than 47,000 Marylanders filed for unemployment insurance.

According to CBS News, another 3.8 million Americans filed for unemployment last week.

Some Marylanders who previously obtained unemployment benefits have suddenly stopped receiving checks.

"On unemployment, I'd probably give them a 'D,'" Judy Kilgore told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren when asked to grade the state. "I've worked my whole life since I was 13, and I've always taken care of my family and paid my bills, and it's very frustrating."

Kilgore said she got one check in April after filing in March and more money never came.

She waited for hours to log on to the state's problematic new Beacon unemployment website.

"You just keep trying. That's the only thing you can do until you get the answers that you need," Kilgore said.

Kilgore is busy helping home school her grandkids and worried about what she'll do to make ends meet.

Despite making dozens of calls, she has yet to get answers from a human being at the Department of Labor.

"I've made more than 700 phone calls in the last three days to the unemployment office. I can't get through to anybody," Kilgore said.

Gov. Larry Hogan apologized Wednesday to Marylanders trying to file for unemployment through the state's new BEACON portal.

"I want to take just a moment to personally address every Marylander who has had difficulty dealing with the serious problems on the state unemployment insurance website," Hogan said during a press conference. "With all of the economic struggles that people are already going through, they should not have to worry about getting the resources that they need and that they deserve."

The BEACON portal launched nearly a week ago and is supposed to be a one-stop-shop for Marylanders who are eligible for benefits to apply. But some residents say they have been struggling to file online, sometimes being put in a queue of users or the site crashing when they try to apply.

"The system keeps crashing," Janice Moore told WJZ.

"It knocked me off, I was back to server error," Kathy Poole said.

Hogan said more than 245,000 accounts have been activated since the launch and more than 100,000 new claims were filed.

"While we have been able to handle this volume better than many other states in the country. It is simply not good enough," Hogan added. "The IT contractor who developed this site, and the Department of Labor, have fallen short of the high standards that we have set and the people of Maryland deserve better and the buck stops with me."

"So I am going to make sure that they do and that we do whatever it takes to get this straight. Every single Marylander gets every single penny financial assistance that they deserve," he said.

Here is a breakdown of the claims by county:

The Department of Labor said they have made progress reducing wait times and glitches on the website.

And the state has worked to streamline the process so people do not lose benefits when logging on for their weekly certifications.

The state released a step-by-step guide on how to file for unemployment. Click here to read that. 

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.

In:
• Maryland
• Unemployment