How many jobs were added in last month?

Updated Apr. 14, 2026Refreshed monthly
Maryland gained 4,500 jobs in January 2026, ranking it 22nd among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 2,900 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.

+4.5K

month to month change in number of jobs (January 2026)

22nd

rank among states in monthly job growth (January 2026)
Maryland’s job gain of 4,500 January 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was up from the 0 loss in December 2025.
During the latest five year period (February 2021 to January 2026), Maryland gained jobs in 43 out of 60 months. January 2026 had the 21st-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in January 2024 (+34,600) while job growth was weakest in October 2025 (-23,300).

There were 4,500 more jobs in January 2026 in Maryland than the previous month.

Monthly change in nonfarm employment, February 2021–January 2026, seasonally adjusted

Which Maryland sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in January 2026?

The three supersectors with the highest job growth in January 2026 were health care and social assistance, construction, and accommodation and food services. Health care and social assistance added 4,300 jobs, more than the entire economy. Construction gained 2,400 jobs, while accommodation and food services added 1,900. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.

The health care and social assistance sector gained 4,300 jobs during January 2026.

Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Maryland (January 2026)

How does Maryland's job growth in 2025 compare to previous years?

In 2025, the state has lost an average of 1,000 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 3,300, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fourth-lowest in job growth since 2006.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 5,500 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 4,700 on average every month in 2023.

In 2025, Maryland lost an average of 1,000 jobs every month.

Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted

Job growth among four metro areas at least partially in Maryland during January 2026 ranged from a gain of 0 jobs in the Hagerstown, MD area to a gain of 5,900 jobs in the Baltimore, MD area.

Monthly job growth, by metro area

Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Maryland

Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areaChange in jobs

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.