WORKFORCE

[photo, Mural, East Antietam St. (near North Potomac St.), Hagerstown, Maryland]

Maryland's workforce is among the best educated. Over one-third of its population aged 25 or older holds a bachelor's degree or higher (4th among all states), while 15.7% have a graduate or professional degree (2nd highest nationally).

Mural, East Antietam St. (near North Potomac St.), Hagerstown, Maryland, June 2004. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Maryland ranks second in the country for its high percentage of professional and technical workers (25.4%) in the workforce with more than 200,000 workers employed in professional, scientific and technical service industries.

Most Marylanders work in the service-providing sector. Jobs cover a wide spectrum: from government positions to transportation-related professions, from wholesale trade to the finance and insurance industry. In 2008, nearly 18% of the workforce was employed by federal, State and local governments, while professional and business services accounted for 15.7% of employment. A substantial number of workers (49,820) are employed in information industries, with 21,000 in telecommunications. Nonetheless, 81% of workers are employed in the private sector with 12.3% (313,044) employed in goods-producing business establishments.

TOTAL WORKFORCE - MARYLAND* (annual averages)
	2006	2007	2008
Maryland	2,530,129	2,546,850	2,537,400


	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Maryland	2,423,138	2,427,396	2,434,480	2,461,074	2,497,416


		1997	1998	1999	2000
Maryland		2,231,499	2,284,671	2,347,638	2,404,095

PRIVATE & PUBLIC SECTOR WORKFORCE - MARYLAND*
	2006	2007	2008
Private Sector goods producing	331,590 (13.1%)	326,133 (12.8%)	313,044 (12.3%)
natural resources & mining	6,836	6,556	6,528
construction	188,420	187,878	178,076
manufacturing	136,334	131,699	128,440
Private Sector service providing	1,741,777 (68.8%)	1,758,249 (69.0%)	1,753,071 (69.1%)
trade, transportation & utilities	470,271	472,173	461,034
information	50,726	50,646	49,820
financial activities	157,729	154,556	149,220
professional & business	394,518	396,733	398,952
education & health	349,136	359,053	367,671
leisure & hospitality	229,694	234,278	236,048
other	89,703	90,618	90,111
Public Sector	455,492 (18.0%)	461,356 (18.1%)	470,409 (18.5%)
local government	232,795	237,879	243,576
state government	97,519	98,634	99,683
federal government	125,178	124,843	127,150


	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Private Sector goods producing	339,518 (14.0%)	328,847 (13.5%)	321,733 (13.2%)	325,826 (13.2%)	330,435 (13.2%)
natural resources & mining	6,278	6,247	6,440	6,687	6,891
construction	164,880	165,725	167,495	175,967	182,878
manufacturing	168,360	156,875	147,798	143,172	140,666
Private Sector service providing	1,634,258 (67.4%)	1,644,350 (67.7%)	1,660,125 (68.1%)	1,686,668 (68.5%)	1,716,583 (68.7%)
trade, transportation & utilities	466,494	461,501	458,526	463,227	466,162
information	58,380	53,402	50,365	50,121	50,368
financial activities	148,821	151,187	156,231	156,352	158,234
professional & business	358,310	357,504	360,676	370,638	383,250
education & health	307,161	318,044	326,564	333,435	340,182
leisure & hospitality	208,691	215,106	218,993	224,371	229,246
other	86,401	87,606	88,770	88,524	89,141
Public Sector	442,648 (18.2%)	450,215 (18.5%)	450,458 (18.5%)	446,342 (18.1%)	448,627 (17.9%)
local government	218,036	223,486	225,125	223,492	226,183
state government	98,134	98,415	97,069	95,928	96,707
federal government	126,782	128,314	128,264	126,922	125,737


	1997	1998	1999	2000
Private Sector manufacturing	176,722 (7.9%)	178,051 (7.8%)	176,862 (7.5%)	180,101 (7.4%)
Private Sector nonmanufacturing	1,645,289 (73.7%)	1,687,246 (73.8%)	1,744,916 (74.3%)	1,792,860 (74.6%)
services	710,287	737,058	766,113	793,234
trade (wholesale)	110,300	110,795	112,958	114,255
trade (retail)	426,555	430,447	435,939	441,981
contract construction	137,820	140,815	149,808	156,501
finance, insurance, real estate	131,161	134,394	139,642	138,203
transportation, communications, public utilities	103,126	103,892	108,446	111,441
other	26,070	29,745	32,010	37,245
Public Sector	409,488 (18.4%)	419,274 (18.4%)	425,860 (18.1%)	431,134 (17.9%)
local government	195,356	203,116	207,284	210,707
state government	89,662	89,483	91,634	93,713
federal government	125,470	126,675	126,942	126,714

* Resident and nonresident wage-earners working in Maryland.

CIVILIAN WORKFORCE - MARYLAND (annual averages)
	2006	2007	2008
Employed*	2,892,620	2,873,512	2,867,178
Unemployed**	116,523 (3.9%)	106,841 (3.6%)	130,531 (4.4%)
TOTAL	3,009,143	2,980,353	2,997,709

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Employed* 2,712,268 2,732,057 2,749,111 2,764,110 2,813,781
Unemployed** 114,779 (4.1%) 128,139 (4.5%) 128,858 (4.5%) 124,047 (4.3%) 121,283 (4.1%)
TOTAL 2,827,047 2,860,196 2,877,969 2,888,157 2,935,064


	1997	1998	1999	2000
Employed*	2,646,200	2,661,192	2,687,843	2,711,382
Unemployed**	132,002 (4.8%)	118,817 (4.3%)	100,027 (3.6%)	100,275 (3.6%)
TOTAL	2,778,202	2,780,009	2,787,870	2,811,657

* Resident wage-earners working either in Maryland or out of state.
** Unemployed Maryland residents actively seeking work.

Source: Workforce Profile, Department of Business & Economic Development

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