Maryland lost 11,000 jobs in June, labor report says

State's unemployment rate rises to 6.9 percent

Despite that, Hayes said, some defense areas are growing still — or attempting to grow. Cybersecurity and intelligence jobs are available in and around Fort Meade, but employers are having difficulty finding enough people with the needed technical know-how and security clearances, he said.

"The demand exceeds the supply," Hayes said.

Most sectors in Maryland shed jobs in June, according to the Labor Department's adjusted estimates. The biggest cuts hit the education sector, hospitality and the retailer-heavy trade, transportation and utilities sector.

Sparrows Point manufacturer RG Steel, which filed for bankruptcy in late May, laid off hundreds of workers in June. Joe Rosel, president of the local United Steelworkers union, said Friday that the Baltimore County mill, which typically has about 2,000 employees, is down to a skeleton crew of 200 to 250 union workers.

The mill could go on the auction block at the end of this month. Workers are hoping for a buyer who will restart the idled facility so the layoffs won't become permanent.

"I'm confident there will be bidders," Rosel said.

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