Unemployment

It was in early September 2010, and I was serving in Afghanistan, helping to plan our mission to support that country's parliamentary elections. Offhandedly, a colleague asked whether I was going to return to my civilian job when I returned home. I replied, "I don't think so. " Surprised, he asked what I planned to do instead. Confidently, I shrugged him off, "I don't know. I'm sure something will shake loose. " We returned to the Unites States in December 2010 and were assured that we were not going to be forgotten.

Singer/songwriter Ellen Cherry would like to thank all the folks who helped her get to where she is today - most notably, the state labor department. When Cherry was laid off from her accounting job in May 2004, she filed for unemployment, which gave her six months to pursue a career as a full-time musician. She never looked back. Cherry founded Wrong Size Shoes, a home studio and personal record label, and has since recorded and released five albums. Her soft yet striking voice and versatile songwriting have helped make her a notable player on the local music scene.

Fewer Americans lined up to file for unemployment benefits in the first two weeks of March, offering more evidence that employers are adding workers to their payrolls.Nationwide, the number of new applicants for unemployment assistance fell 25,000 in the two weeks that ended March 13, to 351,000, the U.S. Department of Labor said yesterday.Analysts warned, however, that there was no evidence that this was part of a trend, because the number of people applying for jobless benefits has moved erratically since the start of the year, when new weekly claims were 343,000.

Gov. Martin O'Malley said Thursday that he wants to bring Maryland's unemployment eligibility calculations into line with a national standard, a move that would enable the state to tap $126.8 million in federal money but would also cost employers more. Businesses have been bracing for a huge tax increase to replenish a nearly depleted state unemployment insurance fund, which has been drained by the state's worst unemployment rate in 26 years. Most employers have been expecting a nearly fourfold increase next year, which would mean they would pay $136 to $383 more per worker than they do now. The federal money will help lower that amount, O'Malley officials said.

Gov. Martin O'Malley released his 2010 legislative agenda Monday, saying he will focus on creating jobs, promoting renewable energy, strengthening education and improving public safety. But the first measure that the Maryland General Assembly will consider is the Democratic governor's emergency bill to change the state's unemployment insurance system. The insurance fund, which is rapidly being depleted because so many residents are out of work, stands to gain more than $80 million in federal cash if the state increases the period of time that can be considered when someone applies for unemployment benefits.

A Baltimore woman pleaded guilty Tuesday in connection with a scheme to steal more than $400,000 in Maryland unemployment benefits, the Maryland U.S. attorney's office said. Shekia Denise Edwards, 25, was one of three charged in the incident. Co-conspirators Kevin Bernard Smith and Sheila Denis Willis, also of Baltimore, had earlier pleaded guilty. According to their plea agreements, the women filed false unemployment insurance claims using Social Security numbers and other information belonging to Marylanders unconnected with the scheme.

Gov. Martin O'Malley, heading into an election year at a time of high unemployment, told a crowd of small-business owners Monday that he will ask the General Assembly to approve a $3,000 tax credit for companies hiring jobless Marylanders. He said he wants the state to give businesses the tax break for each unemployed resident they put back to work. O'Malley, who unveiled the idea at the Greater Baltimore Committee's small-business summit in Baltimore, sees it as a one-year incentive capped at $20 million - meaning almost 6,700 residents could be hired.

Unemployment in Maryland was down but not out in April, as state figures released yesterday showed another marked increase in the number of people employed in Maryland.The April jobless rate's 0.4 percent decline, to 5.6 percent, meant that unemployment had fallen in Maryland for two months in a row.In March, the unemployment dropped 0.5 percent.The numbers still leave Maryland's job market more anemic than a year ago. In April 1990, unemployment was 3.6 percent.But the consecutive monthly decreases were another indication of the beginning of the end of Maryland's recession.

From the time she was a little girl, Dorian Rehfield understood the importance of saving money. She has always made sure to set aside enough funds to cover a year's expenses just in case of an emergency. She just never thought she'd actually need to tap into that account, as she is doing now. Rehfield, 42, lost her job as director of marketing services when her Glen Cove, N.Y., company shut down in August. So she's now forced to live off her savings and unemployment, which is paying her about 14 percent of her salary, until it runs out in about three months.

Gov. Martin O'Malley released his 2010 legislative agenda Monday, saying he will focus on creating jobs, promoting renewable energy, strengthening education and improving public safety. But the first measure that the Maryland General Assembly will consider is the Democratic governor's emergency bill to change the state's unemployment insurance system. The insurance fund, which is rapidly being depleted because so many residents are out of work, stands to gain more than $80 million in federal cash if the state increases the period of time that can be considered when someone applies for unemployment benefits.