Maryland Jobs
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Maryland’s unemployment rate rose once again in May. The 0.4 percent increase took the figure from April 6.8 percent to 7.2 percent, which means that more people struggled to find jobs in Maryland during the month. Currently the unemployment rate is the highest the state has seen since July of 1983, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Joblessness in the area remains significantly lower than the national average of 9.4 percent, regardless of this increase. Despite this, the figure is somewhat disheartening when compared to that of last May. During the same month in 2008 only 4.1 percent of the state’s population was unable to find work.
The rise in unemployment means that more than 212,000 people in the state are currently looking for work. This means that the number of individuals collecting jobless benefits went up by approximately 25,000 claimants between the end of April and May. During the month 2.7 million people were employed in the state.
Jobs in Maryland have fallen by 2.5 percent during the last 12 months. The largest losses experienced have been seen in the mining, logging and construction sector. During the last year, this industry has seen a 15.1 percent decrease in employment. The negative effects of the housing market crisis on the need for construction workers has caused much of this.
Only two areas of employment have posted an increased number of jobs during the last 12 months. Due to the necessity of many of the services provided by the education and health sector, employers in this industry have been able to provide 2.3 percent more jobs this year.
The government sector was the only other area where an increase in employment was reported. Over the course of the last year there has been a 1.1 percent increase in these jobs. This is likely due positions being created in or near the nation’s capital and the fact that the Census Bureau has been hiring for its next survey.
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