Released workers request unemployment pay

District of Columbia workers who have been axed following the government shutdown are seeking unemployment benefits.

The D.C. Department of Unemployment is experiencing a high volume of applications from federal workers in the area and expect delays because so many of the workers’ offices have closed, hindering the verification process.

Maryland’s Department of Labor has received more unemployment claims since Tuesday than it normally receives all year long.

Applicants can expect to wait a week before benefits are paid out.