Initial Unemployment Claims Remain Low

Initial claims for unemployment filed by Montgomery County residents remained low for the second week in a row. During the week that ended on April 10, 165 county residents filed initial unemployment claims. During the week that ended April 3, 141 residents filed initial unemployment claims. The prior week, which ended March 27, 1,307 residents filed unemployment claims. One week earlier, county residents filed 2,401 initial claims, according to the Maryland Department of Labor (DOL).

Initial claims filed throughout the state increased by about 700. During the week that ended April 10, 10,319 Maryland residents filed initial claims. During the week that ended April 3, 9,612 Marylanders filed initial claims. The prior week, which ended March 27, 12,280 state residents filed initial claims. During the week that ended March 20, Marylanders filed 25,996 initial claims.

The national unemployment rate was 6% in March. It was 6.2% in February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The real average hourly earnings for all employees decreased by .8% from February to March, seasonally adjusted, the BLS reported April 13. That governmental body said that stems from a decrease of .1% in average hourly earnings combined with an increase of .6% in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers.

Maryland’s unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percent from January to February, according to the BLS. In January, Maryland’s unemployment stood at 6.4%. In February, it was 6.2%.

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Initial Unemployment Claims Continue to Decline

About Suzanne Pollak

Suzanne is a freelance reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She has over 35 years professional experience writing for newspapers, magazines, non-profit newsletters and the web.

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