How many jobs were lost in Maryland last month?
Refreshed monthly
Maryland lost 8,800 jobs in September 2026, ranking it 45th 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 1,900 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-8.8K
month to month change in number of jobs (September 2026)
45th
rank among states in monthly job growth (September 2026)
September 2026's loss of 8,800 jobs was the second consecutive month of negative job growth in Maryland. Monthly job growth was up from the 11,300 lost jobs in August 2026.
During the latest five year period (October 2021 to September 2026), Maryland gained jobs in 40 out of 60 months. September 2026 had the 10th-lowest 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 8,800 fewer jobs in September 2026 in Maryland than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, October 2021–September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Maryland sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in September 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in September 2026 were transportation, warehousing, and utilities, durable goods, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities added 700 jobs, more than the entire economy. Durable goods gained 600 jobs, while professional, scientific, and technical services added 200. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, and arts, entertainment, and recreation. health care and social assistance lost 2,400 jobs in September 2026, while accommodation and food services lost 2,000 jobs and arts, entertainment, and recreation lost 1,700 jobs.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
The health care and social assistance sector lost 2,400 jobs during September 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Maryland (September 2026)
How has Maryland's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, Maryland lost an average of 5,375 jobs every month. That’s lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 4,392, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as third-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 5,400 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 5,400 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among four metro areas primarily in Maryland during September 2026 ranged from a loss of 600 jobs in the Hagerstown, MD area to a gain of 0 jobs in the Salisbury, MD area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Maryland
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +200 | |
| 2. | +0 | |
| 3. | -300 | |
| 4. | -500 | |
| 5. | -600 | |
| 6. | -8,200 |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
