Maryland ended 2015 on a pretty strong note, according to recently released data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
As reported by the Baltimore Business Journal, the state added 10,500 new jobs in December, and its preliminary unemployment rate is down at 5.1%. All in all, the state saw more jobs created than lost in eight out of the 12 months of 2015.
The private sector reportedly gained 10,600 new jobs in Dec. 2015 while government jobs decreased by 100 and financial services cut 400 jobs.
There are also work-from-home opportunities in the workforce, as well. Call centers are allowing employees to work for themselves remotely now, too. You can earn as much as $200 per week working 20 hours on a per-talk-minute rate.
Education and health care services added 5,000 jobs; trade, transportation, and utilities added 2,600 jobs; business services added 900 jobs; and manufacturing added 300 jobs.
The number of state residents who were unemployed as of December was 162,100. Although Maryland’s unemployment rate is slightly higher than the national rate (which was 5% in December), the state added a total of 54,600 jobs in 2015.
The Baltimore Sun noted that the substantial job growth in health care services has been expected. As more Baby Boomers require increased medical care, this industry is expected to continue growing and Maryland will likely see more jobs appear because of it.
Many also believe that the Affordable Care Act — which penalizes people who don’t have health insurance — is causing more people to sign up for insurance, which then creates a need for more jobs in the industry.
Just as in most communities, local job growth is tightly connected to the success of small, local businesses. More small businesses acquire the resources to develop online presences, but consumers are also becoming more dedicated to supporting their local economies. With 82% of consumers actively searching for local business information online on a regular basis, small businesses can easily reach their target audiences — and without spending a fortune on ads or huge discounts.
Health care is certainly one industry that relies on local support, but it seems that most industries in Maryland have done well for themselves in the past 12 months.
