Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose for the fourth consecutive week in Maryland and Virginia last week, while initial claims in the District rose for the first time in two weeks, mirroring an increase in new filings nationwide.
The Labor Department reports another 898,000 Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits in the week ending Oct. 10, up by 53,000 from the previous week, although it was the sixth consecutive week that new filings remained below 1 million.
The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits fell below 11 million for the first time since the pandemic began, totaling 10.01 million last week. This is a decrease of 1.17 million from the previous week.
On an unadjusted basis, which excludes seasonal influences, initial jobless claims totaled 885,885.
New claims in the District rose by 155 from the previous week. New claims in Maryland were up 640 and initial claims in Virginia rose by 1,162.
Initial jobless claims in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, not adjusted, in the week ending Oct. 10 were:
District of Columbia:
- Week ending Oct. 10: 1,804
- Week ending Oct. 3: 1,649
Maryland:
- Week ending Oct. 10: 11,634
- Week ending Oct. 3: 10,994
Virginia:
- Week ending Oct. 10: 12,005
- Week ending Oct. 3: 10,843
The Department of Labor posts weekly unemployment claims by state online.
