Maryland Gains 9,300 Jobs in April
Unemployment rate driven down to 5.5 percent
BALTIMORE, MD (May 16, 2014) – Maryland added 9,300 total jobs in April, 7,600 of which came from Maryland’s private sector. These figures are according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which released state jobs and unemployment data earlier today. In addition, BLS revised Maryland’s March jobs total upward to a gain of 3,500 jobs from the originally reported 2,300 jobs increase.
“Creating jobs and growing Maryland’s middle class drives everything we do as an Administration. This month’s numbers show that we’re making progress, but we still have more work to do,” said Governor O’Malley. “To keep Maryland moving forward, we’re investing in Maryland’s highly-skilled workforce and best-in-the-nation schools, improving coordination with employers and higher education institutions, spurring innovation in our private sector, and investing in transportation infrastructure improvements.”
Maryland’s private sector gained 7,600 jobs in April, to a total of 2,106,600. April 2014 posted the highest number of private sector jobs for the month of April since 2010. Over the year, Maryland employers added 19,700 jobs.
Maryland’s April unemployment rate is 5.5 percent, down from March’s unemployment rate of 5.6 percent.
“Working together to expand opportunity and spur new workforce training and economic development opportunities, we are building a stronger middle class. By making smart decisions during tough economic times, we have made Maryland a great place to live, work and raise a family,” said Maryland Labor Secretary Leonard Howie. “The Maryland Department of Labor remains focused on accelerating hiring and job growth. Maryland’s economic recovery is why the O’Malley Administration continues funding job training programs, such as EARN, created and funded by the state to ensure that Maryland employers have the talent they need to compete and grow in an ever-changing 21st century economy.”
In the private sector, the Professional and Business Services Sector added 3,100 jobs in April—the most of any sector. The Administrative and Support Services subsector added 2,900 jobs and the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services subsector added 300 jobs. The Natural Resources, Mining and Construction Sector added 1,900 jobs. The Education and Health Services Sector gained 1,800 net jobs; the Educational Services subsector added 1,600 jobs, and Health Care and Social Assistance subsector added 200 jobs. The Trade, Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities Sector added 1,600 jobs. The Retail Trade subsector gained 1,000 jobs; The Wholesale Trade subsector added 600 jobs. Financial Activities Sector added 1,100 jobs.
Secretary Howie will brief the media on the April 2014 jobs report during a conference call at noon today. Call-in number: 1-877-274-9107.
About the Maryland Department of Labor
The Maryland Department of Labor is committed to safeguarding and protecting Marylanders. We're proud to support the economic stability of the state by providing businesses, the workforce, and the consuming public with high-quality, customer-focused regulatory, employment, and training services. For updates and information, follow the Maryland Department of Labor on Twitter (@MD_Labor), Facebook and visit our website.
Note: Data is spidered in on the DLLR website directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) using Datazoa and a slight lag may exist as the database is refreshed.
For immediate access to this month's jobs data please go to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website.