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BALTIMORE, MD (3/27/09) – Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
Secretary Thomas E. Perez announced that Maryland’s unemployment rate climbed
to 6.7 percent in February 2009, up from 6.2 percent in January. Maryland’s
rate increase mirrors that of the nation, but Maryland’s unemployment rate
remains well below the national rate of 8.1 percent.
“As unemployment continues its steep climb as a result of the national downturn,
and as the pain of the recession spreads, Governor O’Malley and the entire administration
are working hard to provide services and resources to those who are hurting. Marylanders
who have lost jobs should file for unemployment insurance quickly, and visit their local
one stop career centers to access job postings and training opportunities,” Secretary Perez said.
Marylanders should visit the Maryland
Workforce Exchange or call 1-888-881-0068 to find a local one stop center. They can also visit
Maryland
Problem Solver website to learn about other state services.
According to Maryland’s monthly business survey, the number of jobs on industry
payrolls, following seasonal adjustment, declined by 10,400. More than 6,000 jobs
were cut from construction payrolls during February. Professional and business
services, an industry which, up to this point, had remained relatively unscathed,
lost 4,300 in February.
Over the past year, downsizing by Maryland employers have diminished the
state’s business base by an estimated 52,000 jobs. Nationally, the pace of job
declines since the onset of the recession in December 2007, estimated at 3.2
percent, has far outdistanced that of 1.8 percent in Maryland.
Employment Situation
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