USDOL August Report: Maryland Adds 600 Jobs
Maryland posts private sector job gain of 15,900 over-the-year
BALTIMORE, MD (September 19, 2014) – The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released state jobs and unemployment data earlier today. According to the preliminary survey data, Maryland added 600 total jobs in August. Public sector jobs are up by 3,900, which includes an increase of 700 federal jobs over-the-month. The private sector declined by 3,300 jobs over-the-month.
Five out of eight months in 2014 have posted over-the-month total job gains. Maryland's private sector gained 15,900 jobs over-the-year.
Maryland's preliminary jobs estimate for July was revised by BLS to a decrease of 11,500 jobs. Maryland's July unemployment rate was unchanged with revision, at 6.1 percent. The August preliminary unemployment rate was estimated to be 6.4 percent.
"Maryland has created 11,500 jobs over-the-year and the Maryland Department of Labor is dedicated to creating sustainable employment opportunities for Marylanders. Together, we're working to broaden Maryland's workforce as we foster an environment where businesses can continue to grow and create more jobs," said Maryland Labor Secretary Leonard Howie.
In the private sector, the Education and Health Services sector added 2,500 jobs -- the most of any sector in August. (The Educational Services subsector gained 1,400 jobs; Health Care and Social Assistance subsector gained 1,100 jobs.) The Leisure and Hospitality sector added 700 jobs over-the-month. (The Arts, Entertainment and Recreation subsector gained 200 jobs and the Accommodation and Food Services subsector added 500 jobs.) The Natural Resources, Mining and Construction sector added 100 jobs in August. The Trade, Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities sector decreased by 2,300 jobs over-the-month. (The Wholesale Trade subsector declined by 1,500 jobs.)
Maryland is the region's economic leader. The nonpartisan Pew Center on the States ranked Maryland among the top three states in the nation for upward economic mobility, and the U.S. Census recently confirmed that Maryland continues to have the #1 median household income in America. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has named Maryland #1 in Innovation and Entrepreneurship for three consecutive years, as well as #1 in STEM job concentration in 2014.
In January 2014, Mark Zandi, a former economic adviser to U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and current Chief Economist for Moody's Analytics, testified in a House Budget and Taxation Committee meeting that two keys for building a strong business climate are investing in education and infrastructure. The O'Malley-Brown Administration has invested heavily in those areas, including a record $6.05 billion in education in FY15 and $4.4 billion over six years in the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act.
Secretary Howie will brief the media on the August 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.