BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland experienced strong growth in health care employment in March, with the state at nearly double the national rate for addition of jobs in that sector overall in 2024, according to monthly state jobs data released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) this week.
The state gained 1,600 health care jobs in March, which adds up to a total of 7,400 jobs in that sector since the beginning of this year. Maryland’s 2.0% growth rate this year in the health care sector ranks second nationwide and is nearly double the national rate.
Despite healthy gains in health care and public sector jobs, Maryland’s total employment held steady in March, declining slightly by an estimated 100 jobs. BLS also revised February’s overall state employment growth upward by 400 jobs – to 2,200 from the prior estimate of 1,800.
The state’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 2.5% in March, from 2.4% in February. Maryland’s unemployment rate is the fourth lowest in the nation.
The top five sectors adding jobs in March were: the public sector (1,700 jobs); Health Care and Social Assistance (1,600 jobs); Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (700 jobs); Other Services (400 jobs); and Construction (400 jobs). The five sectors experiencing the largest declines last month were: Retail Trade (-1,900 jobs); Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation (-800 jobs); Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (-800 jobs); Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (-700 jobs); and Accommodation and Food Services (-500 jobs).
Employment estimates in the monthly data from BLS are based on surveys of employers and households and are subject to revisions. Survey data was collected prior to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and partial closure of the Port of Baltimore. These events will be captured in next month’s data release.
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