New employment estimates released late last month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate total nonfarm employment in Maryland rose by 900 jobs in June. BLS also revised its preliminary estimates of Maryland employment in May down by 1,100 jobs to a gain of 4,000 jobs.
In total, BLS estimates that Maryland added 17,800 total jobs in the first six months of 2026 and grew at a 0.64 percent rate, which outpaces the national employment growth rate of 0.35 percent. While Maryland continues to recover from a year of federal job losses, BLS data suggest the state’s economy is resilient.
BLS estimates that Maryland’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.3 percent, slightly above the national average of 4.2 percent. Maryland’s labor force participation rate remained at 63.9 percent, above the national average of 61.5 percent.
The five sectors with the largest estimated employment gains in June were: Government (a net gain of 300 federal government jobs and a gain of 1,000 jobs in state and local government); Private Educational Services (1,100 jobs); Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (1,100 jobs); Other Services (600 jobs); and Health Care and Social Assistance (600 jobs).
The five sectors with the largest estimated employment losses in June were: Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (-1,900 jobs); Manufacturing (-700 jobs); Retail Trade (-600 jobs); Wholesale Trade (-400 jobs); and Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation (-400 jobs).
Note: Data is transferred to the Maryland Department of Labor’s website directly from BLS servers. The database may be refreshed with a brief lag. For more immediate access to this month’s jobs data, visit the BLS website. Visit the Maryland Department of Labor’s website to view the current employment situation.
