April 29, 2021 Claims for Unemployment Compensation, Week Ending April 24 AUGUSTA - For the week ending April 24, the Maine Department of Labor recorded about 1,700 initial claims filed for state unemployment insurance, and 150 initial claims filed for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). In total, approximately 1,850 people were filing an initial claim or reopening their unemployment claim. About 13,700 weekly certifications, or continued claims, were filed last week for state unemployment, with another 13,000 weekly certifications filed under PUA. In addition, about 17,200 weekly certifications were filed for the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program. Weekly certifications must be filed by claimants every week in order to continue to receive unemployment benefits.