Maryland Jobs Up by 15,600 Over the Year
BALTIMORE (April 19, 2019) – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) today released state jobs and unemployment data. According to the preliminary survey data, total jobs in Maryland increased by 3,100 from February to March. Compared with this time last year, Maryland jobs are up by 15,600 for an over-the-year increase of 0.6%.
The private sector also grew from February to March, adding 2,900 jobs, while federal and state government together added 500 jobs. Maryland’s unemployment rate ticked up 0.1 percentage point, and is in line with the national unemployment rate of 3.8%. Maryland is now in its longest stretch of unemployment below 4% since 2008.
“In today’s competitive market, employers can benefit from new and innovative ways to develop their workforce,” said Acting Labor Secretary James E. Rzepkowski. “Maryland’s training, education, and employment resources help our businesses overcome employee skills gaps and fill their talent pipelines. We encourage employers to contact the Maryland Department of Labor when considering ways to grow and up-skill their workforce.”
Last month, the Education and Health Services sector experienced the most growth with 2,800 jobs, all within the Health Care and Social Assistance subsector. Financial Activities added 2,500 jobs across Finance and Insurance (1,400 jobs) and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (1,100 jobs). Manufacturing added 800 jobs: 500 in Durable Goods and 300 in Non-Durable Goods. The Information sector also grew (300 jobs), while Mining, Logging, and Construction and Other Services remained the same.
Several sectors experienced decline, including Leisure and Hospitality, which decreased by 1,800 jobs across the Accommodation and Food Services subsector (1,500 jobs) and the Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation subsector (300 jobs). The Professional and Business Services sector decreased by 1,600 jobs, and the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector decreased by 100.
February’s preliminary jobs estimate as reported by BLS was revised upwards by 100 jobs, from a loss of 5,800 to a loss of 5,700 jobs.
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.
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