Maryland weekly jobless claims don't show the full picture

More than 61,000 Marylanders filed for unemployment insurance for the week ending April 11.

IN MARYLAND━ SIXT━ONETHOUSAND PEOPLE FILED FORUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS LASTWEEK.

WMA━2 NEWS MALLORYSOFASTAII TELLS US HOW THESENUMBERS COMPARE TO WEEKSPRIOR..

AND THE NUMBER ONEQUESTION SHE KEEPS GETTING..BECAUSE IF IT MATTERS TO YOU..IT'S A MATTER FOR MALLORY.SO ITUNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS IF YOULOOKING AT WEEK OVER WEEK..BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIGPICTUREOVER ━HUNDRE━ THOUSANDCLAIMS SINCE MARCH 1ST..

ANDMANY INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORSARE STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT*WHEN THEY CAN FILE.

A MEDICALEQUPMENT SUPPLIER Jim Nelson,president, Image AmericaEnterprises: 4:31 no incomesince around February 15th: 03HAIR SALON OWNER DarleneMatte━Rains, owner, PassionsBeauty Boutique: 7:19 Ipenniless PET NANNY KarenPeters, Karen's Canine Care:1:37 zero income coming in,zero:02 AND RIDESHARE DRIVERMildred, Uber/Lyft driver:2:29 business has slowed uptremendously:02 WHAT DO THEYHAVE IN COMMON?

NO WORK..

ANDNO WAY TO FILE FORUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCEBENEFITS Mildred 5:02 it'svery frustrating if youqualify and can't get thatincome:05 Brandon Matter,Darlene's son: 2:42 I have yetto be able to get even atimeframe of when she as anindependent contractor isgoing to even be able to filefor unemployment:09 JimNelson: :37 I qualify but theIT system is still down:04Karen Peters: 2:20 So untilthat link is made, it doesnexist right now, so therenothing we can do but sit onour hands and wait:09SEL━EMPLOYED, INDEPENDENTCONTRACTORS, AND GIG WORKERSLIKE UBER AND LYFT DRIVERSDONUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BUTWERE GRANTED COVERAGE UNDERTHE FEDERAL CARES ACT.

THATMEANS STATES HAVE HAD TOIMPLEMENT NEW SYSTEMS TOPROCESS THESE CLAIMS..

BUT INMARYLAND AND A NUMBER OF OTHERSTATES THAT HASNYET.

AND WITH THE GROWINGNUMBER OF CLAIMS BEING FILED &6━ THOUSAND THIS PAST WEEK &AND OVER 30━ THOUSAND SINCEMARCH 1ST.

PATIENCE IS WEARINGTHIN.

Jim Nelson: 6:42 We needthe when.

When will we haanswers?

THIS GROUP OF JOBLESSWORKERS ..

ALSO HIT HARDFINANCIALLY━ IS FEELINGFORGOTTEN.

Karen Peters: 3:16I think that welittle pushed to the side JimNelson: 5:10 wecrushed Brandon Matter,Darlene's son: 3:27 we have 8stylists that are also allindependent contractors andtheyWE WERE PLANNING ON ASKING THESECRETARY OF LABOR ABOUT THISISSUE TODAY BUT SHE HAD TORESCHEDULE THE INTERVIEW FORTOMORROW AND WE'RE TOLD SHEWILL HAVE SOME GREAT NEWS TOSHARE SOON.

ONCE WORKERS AREABLE TO FILEBE BACKDATED TO WHEN YOU FIRSTBECAME ELIGIBLE.

PAYMENTSSHOULD GO OUT WITHIN 21 DAYS.AND STARTING THIS WEEKYOUBENEFITSADDITIONAL ━ HUNDRED DOLLARSPER WEEK FROM THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT.MALLORY HAS BEEN ANSWE