MD gains 3.2K jobs in March, officials estimate

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Citing the latest employment estimates released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Maryland Department of Labor reported that total nonfarm employment in the state increased by 3,200 jobs in March. 

As Maryland faces ongoing challenges from the federal government, including a loss of 600 federal jobs in March, the state has managed to register job growth outpacing national trends for the first three months of the year. Adding 6,800 total jobs so far in 2026, Maryland’s employment has grown at twice the rate of national trends, Department of Labor officials said in a news release.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that Maryland’s unemployment rate matched the national rate in March at a steady 4.3%. 

The state’s employment gains were mainly concentrated in construction (2,000 jobs), offsetting estimated losses the previous month, according to the Department of Labor. Healthcare and social assistance was another sector in which the state saw notable gains, adding 1,100 jobs in March. 

“During the Moore-Miller administration, Maryland’s employment growth in Health Care and Social Assistance has outperformed the national rate (13.7% growth in Maryland vs 12.6% nationally),” the Department of Labor news release says.

The five sectors showing the largest estimated employment increases in March, besides construction or healthcare and social assistance, included administrative and support and waste management and remediation (1,000 jobs), manufacturing (800) and private educational services (500).

The industries experiencing the largest estimated employment losses in March included professional, scientific and technical services (loss of 1,400 jobs); other services (loss of 600); finance and insurance (loss of 200); real estate and rental and leasing (loss of 200); accommodation and food services (loss of 200); and government (net loss of 200).

This story has been updated.