Counties with the highest unemployment in Maryland
The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.
The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.
Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates Maryland, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market
January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.
Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.
"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."
Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.
The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows
Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.
"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.
Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.
Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.
Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Maryland.
24. Carroll County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 95,320 people (1,912 unemployed)
22. Queen Anne's County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,132 people (595 unemployed)
22. Howard County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 189,488 people (4,065 unemployed)
21. Calvert County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 49,914 people (1,111 unemployed)
19. St. Mary's County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 59,026 people (1,346 unemployed)
19. Anne Arundel County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 316,643 people (7,173 unemployed)
15. Caroline County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,422 people (421 unemployed)
15. Harford County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 141,468 people (3,435 unemployed)
15. Frederick County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 136,797 people (3,326 unemployed)
15. Montgomery County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 549,096 people (13,372 unemployed)
12. Talbot County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,052 people (481 unemployed)
12. Baltimore County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 448,539 people (12,286 unemployed)
12. Cecil County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 55,365 people (1,497 unemployed)
10. Washington County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 72,697 people (2,013 unemployed)
10. Charles County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 87,885 people (2,480 unemployed)
9. Kent County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
--- 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,952 people (300 unemployed)
7. Prince George's County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 503,930 people (15,424 unemployed)
7. Dorchester County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,602 people (491 unemployed)
6. Garrett County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,677 people (465 unemployed)
5. Allegany County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: -0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 31,332 people (1,069 unemployed)
4. Wicomico County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 51,220 people (1,808 unemployed)
3. Baltimore city
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: -0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 277,542 people (10,853 unemployed)
2. Somerset County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: -0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,972 people (362 unemployed)
1. Worcester County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,318 people (1,307 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
