Furloughed? How to File for Unemployment in Maryland

By Jenni Pompi and Laura L. Thornton

Federal government workers furloughed by Tuesday's shutdown are eligible to file for unemployment insurance in the state of Maryland. 

Individuals will have to start by filing an initial claim for unemployment insurance to begin benefits, and then file a weekly claim to continue benefits. 

From Maryland's Department of Licensing, Labor and Regulation website:

"If a federal employee is subject to sequestration and is furloughed one or two days per week, the employee will not be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. The earnings for three or four days each week will disqualify the claimant from receiving any benefits."

"If a federal employee is subject to sequestration and is furloughed for three or more days in a week or is totally laid off, the individual must file a claim by calling an unemployment insurance claim center. The claim cannot be filed via the internet."

"If a federal employee voluntarily quits employment due to the sequestration, the individual will likely be disqualified from receiving unemployment insurance benefits."

Read more on the department's website.

For step-by-step instructions on filing an unemployment claim, watch the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation video, and check the DLLR website for further information.

Furloughed federal workers could receive back pay, once the federal government re-opens for business, but that will require an act of Congress, Huffington Post reported.