USDOL September Report: Maryland Gains 2,800 Jobs
Maryland’s manufacturing sector adds 1,100 jobs over-the-month
BALTIMORE, MD (October 21, 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 2,800 total jobs in September. Public sector jobs increased by 3,300, which includes an increase of 900 federal jobs over-the-month. The private sector declined by 500 total jobs over-the-month. Over the year, Maryland’s private sector has added 17,000 jobs. Six out of nine months in 2014 have posted over-the-month total job gains and Maryland has added a total of eighty-five hundred (8,500) jobs since January.
Maryland’s preliminary jobs estimate for August was revised by BLS from a gain of 600 jobs up to a gain of 1,200 jobs. Maryland’s August unemployment rate was unchanged with revision, at 6.4 percent. The September preliminary unemployment rate was estimated to be 6.3 percent.
“Maryland’s private sector gained 17,000 jobs over-the-year. Maryland employers are creating jobs in our Manufacturing and Professional and Business Services sectors. Our investments in skills development and training are helping to put more Marylanders back to work through initiatives such as EARN Maryland, created and funded by the state to ensure that Maryland employers have the skills they need to compete in an ever-changing 21st century workforce," said Maryland Labor Secretary Leonard Howie.
In the private sector, the Manufacturing sector gained 1,100 jobs in September. (The Non-durable Goods subsector added 1,300 jobs while the Durable Goods subsector decreased by 200 jobs.) The Professional and Business Services sector added 3,400 jobs ––the most of any sector in September. (The Administrative and Support Services subsector added 2,500 jobs; the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services subsector gained 800 jobs and the Management of Companies and Enterprises subsector added 100 jobs.) The Financial Activities sector added 300 jobs. (The Real Estate and Rental and Leasing subsector added 900 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 through the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act.
Secretary Howie will brief the media on the September 2014 jobs report during a conference call at noon today, October 21, 2014. 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.