8.16.24 -Tri-State Alert
Maryland added 6,100 total jobs in July, including 5,300 in the private sector, according to monthly data released today by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s job growth was broad-based but particularly strong in industries that include cybersecurity, life sciences research, and transportation.
Total employment in Maryland grew at double the national rate in July (0.2 percent vs 0.1 percent). In fact, for the first seven months of 2024, the state’s job growth rate of 1.2 percent has outpaced the national average (0.9 percent).
The monthly data contained other encouraging trends. Maryland’s labor force participation rate continued to climb upward, increasing by 0.1 to 65.5 percent. This is the highest state labor force participation rate since September 2020 and exceeds the national rate of 62.7 percent.
The state’s unemployment rate of 2.8 percent is unchanged from June and remains – one of the lowest in the nation.
In July, the top five sectors that contributed to Maryland’s job growth were: Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (+1,800 jobs); Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (+1,400 jobs); Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (+1,300 jobs); Government (+800 jobs); and Finance and Insurance (+500 jobs).
The four sectors that lost jobs in July were: Information (-100 jobs), Construction (-200 jobs); Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (-600 jobs); and Health Care and Social Assistance (-700 jobs).
June’s employment growth was revised downward slightly by 200 jobs, from a gain of 5,600 total jobs to a gain of 5,400 total jobs.