Unemployment insurance claims rise across DMV as federal layoffs continue

WASHINGTON - Unemployment insurance claims have risen in the D.C. region as the White House and Department of Government Efficiency continue to lay off federal workers. Area officials are bracing for the impact, but the extent remains unclear.

Maryland's Secretary of Labor, Portia Y. Wu, told FOX 5 DC, they are preparing by increasing staff and infrastructure at the Maryland Department of Labor.

The latest U.S. Department of Labor unemployment insurance figures show D.C. reported 1,682 claims filed the week ending February 8. That's about a 119% increase from the week ending January 25th.

Here's a glance at more detailed data from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia from the U.S. Department of Labor's website:

Maryland boosts labor resources to tackle rising claims

The increases are more modest for Virginia and Maryland, but the numbers are still up. It's not clear how many of those new claims are coming directly from federal workers. However, Wu expects more change in the coming months.

FOX 5 recently learned that between last Friday and Saturday, the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, laid off around 1,200 employees. One probationary employee with 10 years of experience tells FOX 5 they received glowing reviews but still received a termination notice citing poor performance.

Maryland officials say about 6% of the state's jobs are federal civilian jobs, with another 225,000 jobs directly impacted by federal contracts as of 2023. Unemployment insurance benefits for federal employees come from a special fund that is supposed to be reimbursed by the federal government, but this process can be delayed. Congress might need to allocate additional funds, and Maryland is relying on state resources.

"An important thing for people to know is that you should file for unemployment insurance in the state or jurisdiction that is your duty station, where you report to work. So not where you live," said Wu, who tells FOX 5 that this is where those impacted often get confused.

"One thing I do want to say to the public is we know federal employees living in this area, these are our friends, our neighbors, our family members. These are people who have worked and spent their careers serving the American public, serving Marylanders and it's our job to be there to serve them," Wu said.

Local job fairs aim to assist affected federal workers

Maryland Governor Wes Moore launched a Maryland Public Servants Resource website a week ago Friday. The state labor secretary says they have seen increased traffic and participation in weekly workshops. The state's labor department is also working on job fairs, collaborating with state and county/city-level employers.

Separately, State Delegate Lorig Charkoudian, whose district in Montgomery County is deeply impacted by federal layoffs, introduced a bill to increase the $430 weekly unemployment benefit, which could mean higher taxes for some residents.

On Wednesday, Fairfax County Public Schools held a job fair event hoping to help and attract federal employees impacted.

On Friday, an 11 a.m. "Fireside Chat" event will take place at the National Press Club to discuss "DC's Bright Future." That's where we're expecting to learn more about what the District's Department of Employee Services is doing to assist federal workers impacted.