Maryland April-May jobs numbers corrected downward from 7,500 lost to 2,900
Nearly 25,000 more Marylanders working now than were last June
BALTIMORE, MD (July 20, 2012) - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) released state jobs and employment data earlier today. According to the preliminary survey data, Maryland shed 11,000 jobs in June.
However, the current number of Maryland jobs is 28,200 higher than one year ago. Further, last month’s BLS survey data for April-May
indicated that Maryland had lost 7,500 jobs when in fact today’s revised data shows a much different job loss of 2,900, highlighting
the fluid nature of the BLS survey. Maryland’s unemployment rate rose modestly to 6.9 percent. The number of unemployed has fallen
by just over 9,100 since last June, helping to lower the unemployment rate from 7.2 percent in June of 2011 to 6.9 percent in June of
2012. The preliminary May rate of unemployment was 6.8 percent, which was revised downward by 0.1 percentage point to 6.7 percent.
“These numbers are based on survey data. They do not count the actual number of jobs. But if it’s 7,500 jobs
lost as was originally reported last month, or adjusted to less than half that, every job lost is one too many. Still,
we’re moving forward. As of this June, nearly 25,000 more Marylanders were working than were a year ago and
2,200 fewer Marylanders have filed new unemployment insurance claims,” said Interim Maryland Labor Secretary
Scott R. Jensen. “Even with the monthly decline, jobs are 28,200 above what they were in June 2011. That’s
the best over-the-year jobs gain for the month since before the recession. Together, we’re working to broaden
Maryland’s workforce as we foster an environment where businesses can continue to grow and create more jobs.”
While this month’s BLS survey claims a net loss of 1,500 healthcare jobs, healthcare employment has risen steadily with
only minor month-to-month decreases in June of 2011, and January and March of 2012. Over the past five years, healthcare has gained
20,000 new jobs, more than half of which were gained since last year. This month’s survey also claims a large, remarkable drop
of 6,100 jobs in the educational services sector, yet last month this sector actually gained 2,300 jobs. This particular fluctuation
may well be a statistical anomaly caused by the shortened school year combined with the methodology used by BLS to account for seasonal factors.
Interim Secretary Jensen will brief the media on the June 2012 jobs report
during a conference call at noon today (Call-in: 800-619-4425; Passcode: 7016775).
The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation protects and
empowers Marylanders by safeguarding workers, protecting
consumers, providing a safety net and cultivating a thriving
workforce that can meet the demands of Maryland’s dynamic
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