MD sees largest jump in new jobs in 15 months, adding 7,800 jobs in April – Maryland Daily Record

Maryland reported its largest jump in employment in the past 15 months by adding 7,800 jobs in April, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The report also showed job growth in March was healthier than initially reported, with a revision to last month’s estimates that added 500 total jobs.

April’s report is the first to fully incorporate jobs data after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which disrupted operations at the Port of Baltimore, impacting hundreds of businesses and an estimated 20,000 workers who support daily port functions. Most jobs at the port lie in the transportation, warehousing and utilities sector, which had a decrease of 1,000 jobs in April.

Unified Command worked quickly to partially reopen the Port and has given a clear timeline for fully restored operations. Additionally, the administration has directed federal and state economic aid to impacted businesses and workers through programs at the Department of Labor, Department of Commerce, and Department of Housing and Community Development. The administration continues to monitor high frequency economic data and to work closely with stakeholders to understand the full scope of the impact from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Maryland’s economy. 

These actions are supporting Maryland workers and businesses at a critical time. The Department of Labor’s Worker Retention Program, for example, has helped avert nearly 3,000 layoffs through grants to keep Port workers on the job, and the Department of Labor’s Worker Support program provides additional benefits to workers who have lost their job at the Port.

Maryland also saw an increase in its labor force participation rate, rising by 0.2% to 65.2% Although Maryland’s unemployment rate ticked up slightly from 2.5% to 2.6% in April, it remains the fifth lowest in the nation. The uptick can largely be attributed to more Marylanders entering or re-entering the labor force looking for work. 

The top five sectors adding jobs in April were government (3,000 jobs), professional, scientific and technical services (2,000 jobs), accommodation and food services (1,700 jobs), arts, entertainment and recreation (1,500 jobs) and health care and social assistance (1,500 jobs).

The five sectors experiencing the largest declines last month were construction (-1,400), transportation, warehousing and utilities (-1,000 jobs), finance and insurance (-800 jobs), wholesale trade (-300 jobs) and real estate and rental and leasing (-200 jobs).