Although the percentage of the population without jobs in Maryland rose in November, the state continued to weather the recession fairly well in comparison to many other areas. According to the Maryland Department of Labor, November’s unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, which is up 0.3 percent from October’s 5 percent. During the same month the national jobless rate was 6.7 percent.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics information shows that there were approximately 9,400 people claiming unemployment benefits in the state in November. Now there are somewhere around 158,000 Maryland residents who are currently searching for new jobs.
The rising number of residents without Maryland jobs has caused the highest jobless rate the state has seen in the last 12 years. The last time Maryland’s unemployment percentage was higher than this was back in January of 1996, when 5.4 percent of the state’s population was unable to find work.
Currently one of the worst areas to find a job in Maryland is Worcester County, where unemployment has risen to 11.2 percent. According to the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation there are 2,932 residents without work in the area and only 26,106 people in the county.
Maryland was not alone in seeing such a rise. According to the most recent statistics, 36 states and Washington, D.C. all saw an increase in joblessness. This shows that the recession is effecting the majority of the nation.
Finding a job in Maryland or anywhere else may very well get harder before the economy begins to recover. According to many experts, it may be somewhere in 2010 before the recession ends and it may take till 2012 until the job market improves.