"We are so much busier than we have been in three months," he said.
While acknowledging the challenges faced by workers and businesses, Christian S. Johansson, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, said the state's core industries such as health care and biotech are still seeing job growth.
Pointing to hiring at businesses such as Northrop Grumman, Johansson said Maryland is "holding up better than most states in the United States."
Maryland's jobless rate climbed to 6.9 percent in March, the most recent data available. The state fared better than many other states. Michigan topped state joblessness with a rate of 12.6 percent.
Newman, the recruiter, said job seekers might want to consider going back to school to gain new skills.
To that end, Brillantes said unemployed workers can prepare for new jobs such as aging-care and pharmacy technicians by attending classes at a community college.
"Very often, you'll have somebody who started with us as dietary [workers] and admission officers, and they're doing their patient care technician programs and going to nursing school," Brillantes said, noting there are promotion opportunities at the hospital.
She added, "We're not getting the information out there as well to say there are very easy ways to begin to transition."
Hart suggests job seekers focus on emphasizing their transferable skills and be open about taking a step backward temporarily to advance their careers.
"We're seeing a lot of people take pay cuts to find more stable jobs, and that's really good advice" he said. "Be really flexible on location and compensation, and cast a wide net, and you'll likely to find something."
Who's hiring
* Howard County General Hospital is holding two open houses for experienced registered nurses and patient care technicians with at least one year of acute care experience.
May 19, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
June 2, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
5755 Cedar Lane
Columbia
* AirTran is holding a job fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 2 at BWI's career center, next to American Airlines ticket counter.
(Source: Respective companies)
