BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland’s employment numbers continued their positive trajectory in November, adding 7,100 jobs, according to preliminary estimates released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This brings the total number of jobs added in Maryland in 2024 to 40,900.
The growth was primarily driven by the private sector, which added 5,400 jobs in November. This puts Maryland’s private sector job growth at 31,300 for the year, outpacing the national rate of 1.3 percent. The state’s total employment growth of 1.5 percent is also ahead of the national pace.
Several sectors have been key drivers of Maryland’s job growth this year. Health Care and Social Assistance leads the way with 14,800 new jobs, followed by the public sector (9,600 jobs), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (7,300 jobs), and Private Educational Services (6,200 jobs).
Despite the positive job growth, Maryland’s unemployment rate ticked up slightly from 3.0 percent to 3.1 percent in November. This is attributed to an increase in the labor force, as an estimated 2,700 new workers entered the job market. However, Maryland’s unemployment rate remains significantly lower than the national rate of 4.2 percent.
The BLS also revised its October employment estimates upwards by 4,200 jobs, reflecting adjustments for seasonal hiring and layoff patterns. This resulted in a revised loss of 4,800 jobs for October.
This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.
