January 25, 2022
Summary
Maryland added 4,700 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 5 percent in December, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released at 10:00am on January 25, 2022.
Over the past twelve months, Maryland added 99,700 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 1.8 percentage points from 6.8 percent.
In December, Maryland’s private sector added 4,000 net private payroll jobs and over the past twelve months it added 76,400 private payroll jobs in the establishment survey.
In the household survey, the number of unemployed fell by 12,853 on net in December, and over the past year employment rose by 75,697.
Maryland’s labor force participation rate fell to 65.6 percent in December from 65.7 percent. Since last year, the labor force participation rate rose by 0.4 percentage point.
The national unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point in December to 3.9 percent. State employment and unemployment data for January is scheduled for release March 14, 2022. The national employment situation report for January will be released February 04, 2022.
Maryland Payroll Employment
Maryland added 4,700 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Maryland added 12,400 jobs. Over the past twelve months, Maryland added 99,700 payroll jobs, or 3.8 percent. Maryland nonfarm payroll employment had increased in 11 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 199,000 in December, or rose by 0.1 percent. Over the 12-month period ending with December, nonfarm payrolls rose by 6,448,000 jobs, or 4.5 percent. Maryland ranks 22nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
During December, Maryland’s private-sector added 4,000 jobs, or approximately 0.2 percent. The private-sector in Maryland added 10,900 jobs in the prior month. Over the past twelve months, private-sector payrolls in Maryland added 76,400, or 3.6 percent. Maryland private-sector payroll employment has increased in 11 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private-sector payroll jobs rose by 211,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Over the past 12 months, the national payroll rose by 5,996,000 jobs in the private sector, or 5 percent. Maryland ranks 27th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for a percentage gain in private-sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Professional and Business Services (3,000) and Other Services (1,200). The poorest performing sectors during the month were Construction (-800) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-900).
The best performing sectors during the last twelve months were Professional and Business Services (26,100) and Government (23,300). The poorest performing sectors during the last twelve months were Construction (-1,000) and Financial Activities (-1,100).
Maryland Labor Force Statistics
Labor Force Participation
The labor force participation rate in Maryland fell to 65.6 percent in December from 65.7 percent in the prior month. At a labor force participation rate of 65.6 percent, Maryland ranks 11th in the nation. The labor force participation rate in Maryland rose by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Maryland was 69.1 percent last occurring in March 2020. The series high for the labor force participation rate in Maryland last occurred in November 1996 when the labor force participation rate hit 71.5 percent. The 10-year low for the labor force participation rate was 63 percent in September 2020. This also represents the series low for the labor force participation rate in Maryland.
The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 61.9 percent in December. That rate rose by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national labor force participation rate was 67.3 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in October 2012. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 60.2 percent. The series low for the national labor force participation rate was 58.1 percent in December 1954.
Employment-to-Population Ratio
The employment-to-population ratio, or the percentage of the Maryland civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older counted as employed, in December rose to 62.3 from 62.2 percent in the prior month. At 62.3 percent, Maryland ranks 13th among state employment-to-population ratios in the nation. The employment-to-population ratio in Maryland rose by 1.5 percentage points from a year earlier.
The 10-year high for the employment-to-population ratio in Maryland was 66.8 percent last occurring in January 2020. The series high for the employment-to-population ratio in Maryland occurred in December 1989 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 68.4 percent. The 10-year low for the employment-to-population ratio was 58.7 percent in September 2020. This also represents the series low for the employment-to-population ratio in Maryland.
The national employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.2 percentage point over the month to 59.5 percent in December. That rate rose by 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national employment-to-population rato was 64.7 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national employment-to-population ratio was 61.2 percent in February 2020. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 51.3 percent. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio was 51.3 percent in April 2020.