Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Maryland
Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Maryland using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
#24. Carroll County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 96,372 (2,812 unemployed)
#23. Howard County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 190,150 (5,640 unemployed)
#22. Queen Anne's County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 28,712 (864 unemployed)
#21. Anne Arundel County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 318,202 (10,137 unemployed)
#20. Calvert County
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 48,944 (1,639 unemployed)
#19. Harford County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 142,130 (4,727 unemployed)
#18. Caroline County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 16,460 (565 unemployed)
#17. Frederick County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 136,783 (4,632 unemployed)
#16. Montgomery County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 548,433 (18,606 unemployed)
#15. St. Mary's County
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 57,332 (1,972 unemployed)
#14. Garrett County
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 14,383 (516 unemployed)
#13. Cecil County
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 52,680 (1,960 unemployed)
#12. Charles County
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 85,812 (3,206 unemployed)
#11. Baltimore County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 451,023 (16,933 unemployed)
#10. Washington County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 72,887 (2,741 unemployed)
#9. Kent County
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 9,548 (377 unemployed)
#8. Talbot County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 16,616 (645 unemployed)
#7. Dorchester County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 15,306 (644 unemployed)
#6. Wicomico County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 51,140 (2,159 unemployed)
#5. Prince George's County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -2.5%
- Total labor force: 494,176 (21,053 unemployed)
#4. Allegany County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 29,989 (1,371 unemployed)
#3. Worcester County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.8%
- Total labor force: 25,095 (1,160 unemployed)
#2. Baltimore
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -2.3%
- Total labor force: 279,021 (14,048 unemployed)
#1. Somerset County
--- 1 month change: -1.1%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 9,235 (492 unemployed)
