Job Growth

Maryland's unemployment rate in January fell to the lowest level in three years, reflecting an improving economy that spurred the state's employers to add 5,000 jobs during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday. The state's jobless rate dropped to 6.5 percent, nearly 2 percentage points lower than the 8.3 percent national average, preliminary figures for January indicate. It is the fifth straight month that Maryland added jobs and saw an improving jobless rate.

Maryland shed 6,000 jobs in April, the federal government said Friday — the largest monthly loss in the country during a month when most states gained, but one that might have been overstated. The figures, which are preliminary and adjusted for seasonal variations, paint a much less rosy picture of Maryland employment than in recent months. As it released the April numbers, the U.S. Department of Labor said Friday that it also revised downward its estimate for March, showing Maryland losing 600 jobs rather than adding 1,500.

Mass layoffs spiked in July as Maryland job growth continued to slow, a sign that the sputtering national economy is hitting home. Employers added a total of 500 jobs, with more brisk hiring in the private sector tempered by the loss of temporary Census Bureau positions, the U.S. Department of Labor estimated Friday. That's the smallest increase since the state switched course from losses to gains in March, according to figures adjusted to account for seasonal changes in hiring and layoffs.

Maryland's employers added 8,000 jobs in February, the latest sign of the state's economic recovery, labor officials said Friday. It's the sixth month in a row of jobs gains. The state's jobless rate remained unchanged at 6.5 percent from a month earlier, but that's nearly 2 percentage points lower than the 8.3 percent national average, preliminary figures from the U.S. Department of Labor show. "Employment is at its highest level since September 2008," Maryland Labor Secretary Alexander Sanchez said during a conference call.

A report last year that Maryland ranked last in the nation for job creation over the previous 12 months deserves a response ("Maryland ranks last in job creation," June 18). Let's get rid of the Baltimore Development Corporation, the Maryland Economic Development Group, and any public or quasi-public group in this state that has business development in its charter. Think of all the millions of dollars we could save to put to better use, such as lowering the personal and corporate tax rates here.

Gov. Martin O'Malley on Thursday afternoon signed into law a package of bills aimed at spurring job growth in the state, including a $5,000 tax credit for businesses that hire off the unemployment rolls. O'Malley had initially proposed a $3,000 credit, but state lawmakers bumped up that amount. Asked about the change, O'Malley said the approved credit "won't create as many jobs" but said "the ones it does create, it will create them a lot sooner." President Barack Obama has proposed a similar $1,000 tax credit for businesses that hire out-of-work Americans.

I was recently one of the many citizens to attend the public workshop about the Baltimore Washington Intermodal Facility. I was impressed by the sheer volume of information presented. I am looking forward to additional information as plans progress, and encourage my fellow community members to be a part of this process as it continues. We need to let the process work and recognize the benefits of this facility to Maryland, wherever it is sited. We also have to remember that in order to grow the current job offerings in our community we need to objectively evaluate all opportunities presented.

Maryland's economists and business leaders are treating the state economy like it's Punxsutawney Phil, the nation's official groundhog: If they cross their fingers and watch closely, they believe, they can see signs that an economic springtime is just around the corner.That was the tone at yesterday's second annual Maryland Chamber of Commerce Economic Outlook, presented to several hundred people at the Stouffer Harborplace Hotel."The Maryland economy is expected to show moderate growth in terms of gross state product, personal income, retail sales and tax revenues," said a report prepared for the chamber by a panel of economists at several of Maryland's colleges and universities.

WASHINGTON -- Employment figures released yesterday provided the clearest evidence to date that the economy has slowed from last year's unsustainable pace, but that it retains enough strength to avoid braking too severely.Job growth slackened in August as the unemployment rate, 6.1 percent, stood at essentially the same level for a fourth straight month, the Labor Department reported yesterday. The rate had fallen markedly early this year.The data, which provide the first broad view of economic performance for the month, seemed to reduce further the chance that the Federal Reserve would raise short-term interest rates again at its policy meeting this month.

Thanks to a year-end spurt of job creation, the city of Baltimore posted its best employment growth last year since 1999, according to preliminary figures disclosed yesterday by the Labor Department. No doubt gubernatorial candidate Martin O'Malley will quickly heap credit on Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, especially if the city's homicide rate keeps up its dismal January pace. "Today, job growth has returned to Baltimore," O'Malley's campaign Web site trumpeted even before yesterday's figures came out. But as is often the case, politicians should be careful about claiming to generate economic growth - or at least this politician.

A report last year that Maryland ranked last in the nation for job creation over the previous 12 months deserves a response ("Maryland ranks last in job creation," June 18). Let's get rid of the Baltimore Development Corporation, the Maryland Economic Development Group, and any public or quasi-public group in this state that has business development in its charter. Think of all the millions of dollars we could save to put to better use, such as lowering the personal and corporate tax rates here.

Maryland's unemployment rate in January fell to the lowest level in three years, reflecting an improving economy that spurred the state's employers to add 5,000 jobs during the month, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday. The state's jobless rate dropped to 6.5 percent, nearly 2 percentage points lower than the 8.3 percent national average, preliminary figures for January indicate. It is the fifth straight month that Maryland added jobs and saw an improving jobless rate.

Today marks the second anniversary of President Barack Obama's National Export Initiative (NEI), an ambitious effort to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014 and support millions of American jobs. In 2011, U.S. goods and services exports reached a record $2.1 trillion and supported the growth of American businesses across the country. Moreover, our economy has added private sector jobs for 24 straight months. Cities like Baltimore are fueling America's exporting growth. According to new data from the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA)

The economy added 243,000 jobs in January, the Labor Department said this morning. It was the 4th-best best monthly job growth in almost six years. More important, it looks like part of a trend. There were a couple good job months in 2010, but they were surrounded before and afterward by months with job losses. Now the economy has clocked 16 consecutive months of job growth. The numbers are finally well into six figures. Unemployment fell another two-tenths of a percentage point last month to 8.3 percent.

Maryland employers added nearly 25,000 jobs last year, according to new estimates - the best performance since 2006, but one that still leaves the state with more than 80,000 jobs to make up, given the recession's losses. At this rate of employment growth, it will take Maryland until 2015 to dig out of the job-loss hole. Getting back to a truly normal employment situation would take even longer because population growth calls for the constant creation of new jobs. Economist Richard Clinch thinks Marylanders shouldn't count on faster job growth this year because efforts to rein in the federal budget are rippling through the state's sizable base of government contractors.

The economy added 200,000 jobs in December, and unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent. Going forward, unemployment is not likely to fall much further and may rise again. Fourth quarter growth was exceptionally strong as the global economy recovered from first half disruptions such as the earthquake in Japan, but going forward economists expect growth to slow to about 2 percent. Job growth in the range of 130,000 should be expected to accommodate labor force growth, but it won't do much to lower the unemployment rate.

MARYLAND is a rich state in a rich country, its $46,685 median household income third only to New Jersey and Alaska.But as in many other things economic, Maryland's wealth and income hasn't kept up with the growth of its neighbors."

ACCORDING TO the newest data, Maryland's economy looks bad.The state's in recession, if you believe the numbers. We seem to be losing jobs faster than we're creating them -- for the first time in five years.Total state employment in December was 2,600 jobs less than in December 1994, according to the federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics. In November the deficit was 1,800 jobs compared with the same month in 1994. That's a slide down from slight growth of 11,500 jobs -- 0.5 percent -- for August.

Maryland's employment picture continued to improve in November, and local economists are hopeful that 2012 will be an improvement over this year — but they aren't expecting much. Several economists predicted only slightly better job growth next year than this year, which saw "anemic" increases, said Richard Clinch, director of economic research at the University of Baltimore's Jacob France Institute. About 207,000 Marylanders remain unemployed, nearly 100,000 more than when the last recession begin in late 2007 — leaving a lot of ground still to make up. Most of the year's gains were made in recent months, despite the looming possibility of federal cutbacks in a state fueled by government spending.

Employment in the Baltimore area has held up better in the last few difficult years than it has in other, similar regions, thanks largely to the strength of the education, health care and government sectors, according to a new study. The 2011 State of the Region report, produced for the Greater Baltimore Committee, says the Baltimore area's loss of 1.6 percent of its jobs between 2008 and 2010 was the fifth-smallest drop among 20 metro areas studied. Austin, Texas, had the best performance, with a drop of about half a percent, while Tampa's 3.6 percent job loss ranked the Florida city dead last.