EXPLAIN. WELL, NEARLY 8000 JOBS ADDED IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND LAST MONTH. THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR HERE IN MARYLAND, AND IT’S THEIR FIRST REPORT THAT THEY’VE COLLECTED DATA AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE KEY BRIDGE. NOW, WE KNOW ABOUT 20,000 JOBS AT THE PORT OF BALTIMORE ARE FEELING THE IMPACT OF THE COLLAPSE. THIS REPORT SHOWING A DECREASE OF 1000 JOBS AT THE PORT IN APRIL. THOSE JOBS, RANGING FROM TRANSPORTATION AND WAREHOUSING AND UTILITIES. BUT DESPITE THAT LOSS, THE REPORT SHOWS GOVERNMENT PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SERVICES AS WELL AS ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD SERVICES WERE AMONG THE TOP SECTORS IN WHICH JOBS WERE ADDED IN APRIL. TONIGHT WE’RE HEARING FROM A REGIONAL ECONOMIST WHO SAYS THE NUMBERS AREN’T SURPRISING AND LOTS OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THE PORT CLOSURE IS A TEMPORARY SETBACK. WE’RE A VERY BROAD BASED, YOU KNOW, ECONOMY LIKE TO SAY MARYLAND IS EDS, BEDS, MEDS AND FEDS. AND THE PORT. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS A SUBSTANTIAL SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY. BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, OUT OF THE FIVE, FOUR ARE RUNNING VERY WELL. AND DOCTOR DARIUS, THEY’RE ALSO ADDING IN THAT WE CAN LIKELY SEE MORE JOBS COMING TO BALTIMORE WITH THE REBUILDING OF THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY
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Maryland adds almost 8,000 new jobs in April, labor report says
This is the first report that collected data after the collapse of the Key Bridge
Despite the Port of Baltimore shutting down after the Key Bridge collapse, the state of Maryland added 7,800 jobs in April, according to a report from the Maryland Department of Labor. The report was the first to collect data after the bridge collapse, which impacted hundreds of businesses and thousands of Port of Baltimore workers. The report found the transportation, warehousing and utilities sectors at the port had a decrease of roughly 1,000 jobs. "Our goal has been to keep as many port workers as possible attached to their jobs so that as regular operations resume, businesses are ready to go," Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu said. "Through targeted assistance, we have been able to keep thousands of port workers on payroll and provide thousands of additional impacted workers with temporary economic support during this time."Daraius Irani, chief economist for the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University, told 11 News he was not surprised to hear additional jobs came in April. He said he feels this way because the port shutdown is only temporary, and other professions, he says, are hiring."We're a very broad-based economy, I like to say Maryland is 'eds, beds, meds, feds and the port,'" said Irani. "It is a substantial sector of the economy, but out of the five, four are running very well." The report states the number of jobs increase is the largest increase since January 2023. "(The jobs range) from accountants, in the government sector, to additional tellers at (the Motor Vehicle Administration), those type of things, professional and scientific services, everything from software developers to engineers, lawyers," said Irani.
BALTIMORE —
Despite the Port of Baltimore shutting down after the Key Bridge collapse, the state of Maryland added 7,800 jobs in April, according to a report from the Maryland Department of Labor.
The report was the first to collect data after the bridge collapse, which impacted hundreds of businesses and thousands of Port of Baltimore workers. The report found the transportation, warehousing and utilities sectors at the port had a decrease of roughly 1,000 jobs.
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"Our goal has been to keep as many port workers as possible attached to their jobs so that as regular operations resume, businesses are ready to go," Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu said. "Through targeted assistance, we have been able to keep thousands of port workers on payroll and provide thousands of additional impacted workers with temporary economic support during this time."
Daraius Irani, chief economist for the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University, told 11 News he was not surprised to hear additional jobs came in April. He said he feels this way because the port shutdown is only temporary, and other professions, he says, are hiring.
"We're a very broad-based economy, I like to say Maryland is 'eds, beds, meds, feds and the port,'" said Irani. "It is a substantial sector of the economy, but out of the five, four are running very well."
The report states the number of jobs increase is the largest increase since January 2023.
"(The jobs range) from accountants, in the government sector, to additional tellers at (the Motor Vehicle Administration), those type of things, professional and scientific services, everything from software developers to engineers, lawyers," said Irani.
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