BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Maryland’s total employment grew by 7,100 jobs in November, including 5,400 in the private sector, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Officials said Maryland added 40,900 jobs, including 31,300 in the private sector, and total employment has grown by 1.5%, faster than the national rate of 1.3%, so far in 2024.

Employment gains in 2024 have been driven by strong growth in:

• Health Care and Social Assistance (14,800 jobs)
• The public sector (9,600 jobs)
• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (7,300 jobs)
• Private Educational Services (6,200 jobs)

In November, an estimated 2,700 new workers began searching for work, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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This increase in the labor force was enough to increase Maryland’s unemployment rate from 3.0% to 3.1%. Maryland’s unemployment rate remains one of the lowest in the nation and well below the national rate of 4.2%, officials said.

In November, the top sectors that contributed to Maryland’s job growth were:

• The Public Sector (1,700 jobs)
• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (1,400 jobs)
• Health Care and Social Assistance (1,300 jobs)
• Retail Trade (1,100 jobs)
• Other Services (1,000 jobs)
• Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (1,000 jobs)