Maryland's unemployment insurance is run by the Department of Labor, and the process starts with a claim filed through their website or by phone

Maryland's unemployment insurance (UI) program is administered by the Maryland Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance Administration. When you lose a job through no fault of your own, you file a claim with them—not with your employer, not with a federal office. The state processes your claim, determines whether you meet the requirements, and if approved, sends you weekly payments from a fund built from employer taxes.

The system works the same way across Maryland's 23 counties and Baltimore City. You file once, and that single claim covers your entire period of joblessness, as long as you remain unemployed and continue to report your status each week. The amount you receive and how long you can receive it depend on your earnings history in Maryland over the past year and a half.

Key Takeaways

  • File your claim through the Maryland Department of Labor website (mdes.maryland.gov) or by calling 410-949-0022; filing online is faster and creates a record automatically.
  • You must have earned at least $30 per week on average during your base period (the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file) to receive any payment.
  • Weekly benefit amounts range from $25 to $430, based on your highest quarter of earnings in the base period, and you can receive payments for up to 26 weeks in a standard year.
  • You must report your status every week through the same online system or by phone, and you must actively search for work each week to remain may be able to access.
  • Maryland offers additional weeks of federal extended benefits during periods of high unemployment, though these are not always active.

What you need to file a claim

Before you file, gather your Social Security number, driver's license or state ID number, and information about your most recent employer—their name, address, phone number, and the dates you worked there. If you worked for multiple employers in the past 18 months, have that information ready too. The system will ask about your separation from your last job: whether you were laid off, fired, or quit, and if you quit, why.

You do not need to print anything or mail anything to start. The Maryland Department of Labor accepts claims filed online through their website or by phone. Online filing is usually faster because your claim enters the system when ready and you receive a confirmation number. By phone, you speak to a representative who enters your information, but wait times can be long during periods of high unemployment.

How Maryland calculates your weekly payment

Maryland uses your base period to determine how much you receive each week. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the quarter in which you file. For example, if you file in March 2024, your base period is January 2022 through December 2022. The state looks at your highest-earning quarter during that period and multiplies it by a fixed percentage (currently 1/25th of your highest quarterly earnings) to arrive at your weekly benefit amount.

The minimum weekly payment is $25 and the maximum is $430, though the maximum changes each year based on state wage data. If you earned less than $30 per week on average during your base period, you do not meet the earnings requirement and cannot receive benefits. If you earned between $30 and $75 per week on average, you receive the minimum of $25 per week.

Your payment does not include taxes withheld. Maryland does not automatically deduct federal income tax from unemployment payments, but you can request that it does. If you do not request withholding, you may owe taxes when you file your return the following year.

Weekly reporting and work search requirements

After your claim is approved, you must report your status every week to continue receiving payments. Maryland requires you to report by the important date shown on your payment notice—usually a specific day of the week. You can report online through the Maryland Department of Labor website or by phone. Failing to report, even once, can stop your payments until you do.

Each week you report, you must confirm that you are still unemployed and that you have actively searched for work. Maryland defines active work search as taking concrete steps to find employment: explore for jobs, attending interviews, contacting employers, registering with a job service, or attending training. You do not have to document every search, but the Department of Labor can ask you to provide details, and if you cannot show that you searched, your benefits can be denied.

If you find part-time work or temporary work while receiving benefits, you still report it. Maryland allows you to earn up to one-third of your weekly benefit amount without losing any payment. Earnings above that amount reduce your payment dollar-for-dollar. This rule lets you work part-time and still receive partial benefits while you search for full-time work.

How long you can receive benefits

In a standard year, Maryland provides up to 26 weeks of unemployment insurance payments. The 26 weeks do not have to be consecutive—if you find work for a few weeks and then lose it again, you can file a new claim and use any remaining weeks from your original claim, as long as you have not exhausted them.

During periods of high unemployment, the federal government may set up Extended Benefits (EB), which add up to 13 additional weeks of payments. Extended Benefits are not automatic; they set up only when Maryland's unemployment rate meets a federal trigger (currently an insured unemployment rate of 5 percent or higher for 13 weeks). When EB is active, you can receive up to 39 weeks total. You do not have to do anything to switch to EB—if you exhaust your 26 weeks and EB is active, you automatically move to the extended program.

The Department of Labor publishes whether EB is currently active on their website. If you are near the end of your 26 weeks, you can check the status to know whether additional weeks will be available.

Reasons your claim might be denied or stopped

The most common reason for denial is not meeting the earnings requirement. If you earned less than $30 per week on average during your base period, you cannot receive benefits, no matter the reason you lost your job. This affects people who worked very part-time, worked for only a few weeks, or had a long gap between jobs in the base period.

Disqualification happens when you quit your job without good cause, were fired for misconduct, or refused suitable work without good reason. "Good cause" means a reason connected to your work—unsafe conditions, wage theft, or a substantial change in job duties. Personal reasons like transportation problems or family issues do not count as good cause for quitting. If the Department of Labor determines you were disqualified, you lose all benefits for that claim, though you can appeal.

Your benefits also stop if you do not report weekly, do not search for work, or misreport your earnings or employment status. If you miss a report important date, contact the Department of Labor when ready to explain. A single missed report can delay your payment by a week or more.

The appeal process if your claim is denied

If the Department of Labor denies your claim or stops your payments, you receive a written notice explaining the reason and your right to appeal. You have 10 calendar days from the date on the notice to file an appeal. You can appeal online through the Maryland Department of Labor website, by mail, or by phone.

An appeal goes to a hearing examiner who reviews the facts of your case. You can submit written evidence (pay stubs, emails, letters from your employer) and can request a hearing where you speak to the examiner by phone or video. The examiner makes a decision, which you can appeal again to the Board of Appeals if you disagree. The entire process can take several weeks to several months, but your appeal does not stop the clock on your 26-week benefit period—weeks pass whether your appeal is pending or not.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I receive unemployment if I was fired?

Only if you were not fired for misconduct. Misconduct means willful or deliberate violation of your employer's rules or reasonable work standards. Being fired for poor performance, making a mistake, or being late does not count as misconduct. If your employer says you were fired for misconduct, you can appeal and present your side of the story at a hearing.

What happens if I find a job while receiving benefits?

Report your new job and earnings when you file your weekly report. If you earn up to one-third of your weekly benefit amount, you receive your full payment. If you earn more, your payment is reduced by the amount over that threshold. If you return to full-time work, your claim continues but you do not receive payments while employed; you can reactivate it if you lose that job later.

How long does it take to receive my first payment?

Processing time varies. If you file online and your claim is straightforward, you may receive your first payment within one to two weeks. If your employer contests your claim or the Department of Labor needs more information, it can take three to four weeks or longer. You can check the status of your claim online through the Maryland Department of Labor website.

Do I have to pay taxes on unemployment benefits?

Unemployment benefits are taxable income. You do not have to pay taxes when ready, but you will owe them when you file your tax return. You can request that the Department of Labor withhold federal income tax from your payments (currently 10 percent) to reduce what you owe later. Contact the Department of Labor to set up withholding if you want it.

What if I moved out of Maryland while receiving benefits?

You can continue to receive Maryland benefits as long as you remain unemployed and meet the work search requirement, even if you move to another state. Report your move to the Department of Labor and continue filing your weekly reports. If you move and find work in another state, that state's unemployment office may become involved, but Maryland will continue to process your claim.