Maryland Adds 53,900 Jobs, Unemployment Rate Ticks Down
Coronavirus / County News / Labor / News You Can Use
Maryland Adds 53,900 Jobs, Unemployment Rate Ticks Down

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) last week reported that Maryland added 53,900 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate decreased to 7.6 % — more than 25% lower than the national unemployment rate. Unemployment rates in July ticked down in 30 states, ticked up in 9 states, and remained stable in 11 states. The national unemployment rate fell by 0.9 percentage points over the month to 10.2% — but was…

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August 25, 2020
Local Govts Continue to Lose Non-Education Jobs, Despite Continued Recovery of Other Major Sectors
Source: NACo Analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report Published 07/02/2020
Coronavirus / County Budgets / County News / Labor / NACo and Federal Issues
Local Govts Continue to Lose Non-Education Jobs, Despite Continued Recovery of Other Major Sectors

Non-education local government jobs continued to decline for the third consecutive month, decreasing by 13,800 in June and bringing the total number of non-education jobs lost to local government over 537,000. After a loss of 1.3 million local government jobs in April and May, the number of local government jobs remained largely unchanged in June, increasing only by a nominal amount of 0.4 percent (57,000 jobs) – according to the newly released June jobs report…

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July 14, 2020
Montgomery County’s Minimum Wage to Increase on July 1
Board of Public Works / Business Affairs / County News / General Assembly News / Labor
Montgomery County’s Minimum Wage to Increase on July 1

The minimum wage in Montgomery County will increase on July 1. As previously reported on Conduit Street, Montgomery County's minimum wage will rise the minimum wage incrementally, each July 1, until it reaches $15 per hour in 2022. The number of workers employed by the business will determine the amount of the increase. The County’s minimum wage will rise to $14 for employers with 51 or more employees and $13.25 for employers with 50 or…

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June 29, 2020
Department of Labor Launches Four Video Tutorials to Navigate BEACON Unemployment System
Coronavirus / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Labor / News You Can Use
Department of Labor Launches Four Video Tutorials to Navigate BEACON Unemployment System

The Maryland Department of Labor's Division of Unemployment Insurance has created four new video tutorials to help users navigate the new BEACON One-Stop unemployment system. The videos can be found online on the Department of Labor's social media channels including YouTube, and their website. The series of videos first walks users through the process of activating and logging into their account. https://www.facebook.com/MarylandLabor/posts/3028097667233799 The next tutorial walks users through the process of applying for the Pandemic…

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April 30, 2020
Coronavirus / Labor / Tourism
Worcester County Economy Predicted to Be One of the Hardest Hit in the Country

Worcester County could end up being one of the economically hardest hit regions in America due to the COVID-19 crisis. In an article published by USA Today, financial news service 24/7 Wall Street predicts that Worcester County, Maryland could be the eleventh hardest hit region in the U.S. from an economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 crisis. The methodology used is based primarily on employment rates of hard hit industries, accounting for 80 percent of…

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April 13, 2020
Missing Weekly Unemployment Claims Can Now Be Filed Online
Business Affairs / Coronavirus / County News / Labor
Missing Weekly Unemployment Claims Can Now Be Filed Online

The Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance today announced that technical issues caused many claimants to miss the window to file their weekly requests for benefit payment, which are called weekly claim certifications. To remedy the situation, and ensure that claimants receive the full benefit amount for which they are eligible, the State has updated its systems to residents to retroactively file weekly claims online. https://twitter.com/riccimike/status/1248221824028196864 According to a press release: We have implemented a new…

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April 9, 2020
2020 End of Session Wrap-Up: Employee Benefits and Relations
Bill Hearing / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Labor / MACo Testimony
2020 End of Session Wrap-Up: Employee Benefits and Relations

The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work in the area of employee benefits and employee relations in the 2020 General Assembly.  MACo advocates for fair state laws governing employment practices, labor representation, and employer-employee relationships. MACo becomes particularly engaged when a proposal has a disproportionate or unique effect on public sector employees – frequently those affecting public safety employees or other public workers who engage in sensitive functions. This year, for the…

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March 20, 2020
Local Seafood Industry Still Seeing Worker Shortages
Labor / NACo and Federal Issues
Local Seafood Industry Still Seeing Worker Shortages

The Chesapeake Bay area seafood industry is still concerned over worker shortages for the upcoming season that begins April 1. The industry says the current H-2B visa system is damaging their businesses and could lead to closures. As previously reported on Conduit Street, in January, Governor Hogan sent a letter to the Trump Administration requesting more visas in response to labor shortages, estimating that without more visas there could be permanent damage to the $355…

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March 5, 2020
Bill Hearing / County Budgets / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Government Liability and Courts / Intergovernmental Relations / Labor / MACo Testimony
MACo Opposes Court Collective Bargaining Mandate

MACo Legislative Director Natasha Mehu testified on February 20, 2020 before the Senate Finance and Judicial Proceedings Committee to oppose SB 388 - Circuit Courts and District Court of Maryland Employees – Collective Bargaining. This bill would establish collective bargaining for Circuit Court and District Court clerical, administrative, constabulary, maintenance, and housekeeping staff. From MACo Testimony: The move to collective bargaining outlined in this bill will lead to unknown and potentially significant cost increases to…

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February 21, 2020
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