Maryland’s job market is showing signs of resilience, but federal workforce cuts are clouding the overall picture.
Maryland added 2,300 jobs in April 2025, a modest gain shaped by growth in the private sector and state and local government employment. However, this progress was tempered by the loss of 2,600 federal jobs. While some federal influence has yet to be reflected in the numbers, such as administrative leave and buyouts, the effects are already visible in communities with a high concentration of federal workers.
From the Maryland Department of Labor:
The five sectors with the largest employment gains in April were: Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (3,300 jobs); Construction (1,700 jobs); Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (1,000 jobs); Health Care and Social Assistance (700 jobs); and Accommodation and Food Services (500 jobs).
The five sectors with the largest estimated employment losses in April were: Government (-1,300 jobs); Wholesale Trade (-1,300 jobs); Retail Trade (-1,100); Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (-900 jobs); and Manufacturing (-800).
Local governments may see increased demand for workforce support as Maryland’s unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.1 percent. The Department has launched centralized tools to help affected residents, including a resource hub for public servants and a support page that offers career counseling and unemployment assistance. Meanwhile, sectors such as transportation, construction, and health care continued to grow, suggesting potential pivots for displaced workers and local workforce planners alike.
