While acknowledging the downward trend, Christian S. Johansson, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, remained positive about the state's economic health and ability to recover from trying times.
"Compared to the rest of the country, Maryland is still one of the most stable states to weather the recession," he said.
To be sure, there are employers that are hiring, but openings are few. And with job seekers plentiful, employers can be picky. The Economic Policy Institute estimates there are 3.9 job seekers per opening, compared with 1.7 unemployed workers per opening at the start of the recession in December 2007.
Sparks-based spice maker McCormick & Co. and retailer Auto Zone were among several companies advertising openings at a job fair at the Baltimore Convention Center earlier this week. Recruiters were inundated with hungry job seekers asking about openings.
When Coca-Cola held in-house recruiting events in recent weeks, one drew 200 people and another drew 100, said Vickie Bush, a field recruiter based in Rockville.
But the soda maker only has 15 seasonal and part-time openings for store merchandisers and warehouse loaders, Bush said.
"Attendance has been high. We're used to having high volume of people, but I could see an increase, almost double," she said.
James Anderson has been out of work since November, when he was laid off after 17 years as a driver for DHL Express. The shipping company announced plans to discontinue domestic-only air and ground services.
About 188 workers in the Baltimore area were laid off when DHL closed two pickup and delivery centers in January, one in Linthicum and one in Hunt Valley. About 9,500 workers were affected nationwide.
Anderson said he has been living on unemployment benefits and a small severance, with the last check to arrive this week.
The 37-year-old Baltimore resident has been to four interviews, but most employers want him as a part-time employee, he said.
"I've got savings, but I can't live off it," he said. "If you don't replenish it, you'll sink. I worked hard to get my house and my car. I don't want to lose those things. There are days when I'm discouraged, but I have a support system" of friends.
