Unemployment is expected to rise for at least several more months, economists predict.
"There's nothing out there that would tell us that the economy is stabilizing or conditions are getting better," Naroff said.
The government's report of state employment came on the heels of a large batch of layoffs announced Monday by major U.S. employers planning to cut nearly 60,000 jobs across industries.
In January alone, the state has received notifications from several private employers about pending layoffs and closures affecting more than 600 employees, mostly starting in March.
They include Trifinity Partners Baltimore LLC, a manufacturer of car fragrance products, which is closing its South Baltimore plant on March 9 and relocating to Waukegan, Ill., its principal and CEO Jim Merlo said yesterday.
The move will affect 111 workers, who have been offered positions at the new plant, Merlo said. Employees who do not relocate will receive severance and outplacement services, he said.
The company, under different names and several owners, has been making automotive air fragrances in Baltimore for more than 25 years. Merlo bought the business from Shell Lubricants in early 2006.
Merlo, who has several manufacturing plants in northern Illinois, attributed the plant's move to logistics. "We've had a very tough time getting new business here," he said. "Location wasn't helpful."
Distributor U.S. Foodservice also told the state that it is laying off 147 people in Columbia, where it previously had its headquarters. Company executives said in a statement they will trim a level of managers, close their Columbia office and move functions handled there to their Illinois headquarters.
The new job cuts in Maryland come on top of previously announced layoffs at major Baltimore region employers, including 800 workers at Constellation Energy Group and 200 people at Legg Mason Inc.
Stephen Turk, 23, of Pikesville said he lost his job in the marketing department of a developer of retirement communities this month as part of a large layoff. Being back in the job market is familiar territory for the 2007 graduate of St. Mary's College.
"A year and a half ago, there weren't a whole lot of jobs around, and you couldn't get a foot in the door without any experience," he said. Now, "there still aren't that many jobs, and there are just a whole lot more people out there with me."
The 2008 year-end statistics show the state had an annual average unemployment of 4.3 percent. Because employment was stronger earlier in the year, the state ended up with an increase in annual average jobs, with employers adding 21,100 positions.
The state's economy has been bolstered by jobs in health care, education and the federal government. Yesterday, Gov. Martin O'Malley and Queen Anne's County officials announced that they were bringing new jobs to the area.
Delaware-based Power Electronics Inc., which makes structures for substations, will move its operations to Millington and create 60 jobs in the next two years. It will receive a $150,000 loan from the state provided investment and job targets are met.
Baltimore Sun reporters Jamie Smith Hopkins and Hanah Cho contributed to this article.
