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24,000 D.C. workers have already filed for unemployment
The US Capitol is pictured in Washington on October 1, 2013 during the first day of the federal government shutdown. US President Obama slammed Republicans for shutting down the government as part of an 'ideological crusade' designed to kill his signature health care law. The US government shut down on October 1, 2013 for the first time in 17 years after a gridlocked Congress failed to reach a federal budget deal amid bitter brinkmanship. Some 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed in a move reminiscent of two previous shutdowns -- for six days in November 1995 and 21 days from December that year into early 1996. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

24,000 D.C. workers have already filed for unemployment

Via DCist:

Here we are, beginning week number two of the government shutdown. How's everyone doing out there? Not good, eh? Apparently not, as 24,000 federal employees have already filed for unemployment in D.C. and Maryland alone. Yes, you read that right. 24,000.

D.C. Department of Employment Services spokeswoman Najla Haywood tells DCist that more than 10,000 furloughed government employees who live in the District have already filed for unemployment benefits since the government shut down last week. To wit: D.C. usually gets around 600 unemployment claims in a given week, Haywood says.

And over in Maryland, the number is even higher. WJLA reports that, as of Friday morning, more than 14,000 federal unemployment claims have been filed, which is "nearly four times the number of claims from federal workers that Maryland usually receives in an entire year."

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Meredith Jessup

Meredith Jessup

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