ANNAPOLIS, MD — New employment estimates for October and November 2025 released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that federal employment in Maryland fell by an estimated 10,300 in October and November 2025 (combined) according to the bureau. The employment losses are the first monthly job numbers to reflect “fork in the road” deferred resignations that went into effect on October 1, 2025. In total, federal employment has fallen by an estimated 24,900 positions in Maryland since January 2025—the most of any state in the nation.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that private sector employment fell by 4,400 in October and November (combined). Each month, the bureau adjusts employment estimates based on typical seasonal hiring patterns; data and unemployment insurance claims suggest that the loss is due to weaker than expected seasonal hiring and not a significant increase in private sector layoffs.
In 2025, the Trump-Vance Administration launched an unprecedented attack on federal workers. In February, the Trump-Vance Administration began its efforts to reduce the number of federal workers through mass layoffs and encouraging voluntary resignations, with a plan to reduce the workforce by nearly 300,000. In October, the Trump-Vance Administration oversaw the longest federal government shutdown in history, which impacted the 269,000 Maryland residents serving as federal employees.
According to the Office of the Comptroller, the federal government directs more than $150 billion annually to the State of Maryland through federal wage and retirement income, contracts, grants, and direct payment spending. Maryland residents employed by the federal government in the defense and non-defense civilian workforce—not including active-duty service members—have combined annual earnings of $26.9 billion. Federal jobs located in Maryland represent 6% of the state’s overall employment and 10% of overall wages.
Overall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that Maryland’s unemployment rate increased from 3.8 percent in September to 4.2 percent in November. Maryland’s unemployment rate remains below the national average of 4.6 percent.
Outside of the federal workforce, Maryland has added 94,000 jobs in the private sector and in state and local government during the Moore-Miller Administration and has grown employment in these sectors at a faster rate than nationwide (3.6 percent growth vs 3.2 percent).
Health care continues to remain a particularly strong growth sector for Maryland, expanding by 1,400 jobs across October–November 2025, by 12,300 jobs over the past year, and by 51,200 jobs during the course of the Moore-Miller Administration.
The five sectors with the largest estimated employment gains in October and November were:
-
Health care and social assistance (1,400 jobs)
-
Private educational services (600 jobs)
-
Professional, scientific, and technical services (600 jobs)
-
Wholesale trade (600 jobs)
-
Accommodation and food services (500 jobs)
The five sectors with the largest estimated employment losses in October and November were:
-
Government (federal, state, and local combined, -6,500 jobs)
-
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation (-4,100 jobs)
-
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-2,800 jobs)
-
Retail trade (-1,300 jobs)
-
Arts, entertainment, and recreation (-1,100 jobs)
In response to the unprecedented actions taken by the Trump-Vance Administration, the Moore-Miller Administration continues to provide support to help Marylanders impacted by federal workforce layoffs, firings, and changes to federal funding, offering a broad range of supports for federal employees, contractors, and other workers impacted by federal actions, including:
-
Support in finding a new job through 33 American Job Centers and a specialized Professional Outplacement Assistance Center, including individualized career guidance, résumé workshops, mock interviews, career and skills assessment, effective job search strategies, and networking support;
-
Additional career resources, such as information on transitioning to a teaching career;
-
A weekly virtual workshop designed specifically for former federal employees and federal contractors, and attended by 2,000 workers to date;
-
Job fairs and recruitment events;
-
The Federal Worker Emergency Loan Program for recently terminated federal employees facing financial hardship;
-
Unemployment insurance;
-
Resources for veterans;
-
Legal resources;
-
Resources related to health coverage, housing, and food, cash, and other assistance.
For more information, visit https://response.maryland.gov/federalpublicservants.
NOTE FOR MEDIA: Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu will host a press call concerning Maryland’s jobs data today, Wed., Jan. 7 at noon. Media must RSVP to attend the call.
Note: Data is transferred to the Maryland Department of Labor’s website directly from Bureau of Labor Statistics servers; the database may be refreshed with a brief lag.
For more immediate access to this month's jobs data, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
Visit the Maryland Department of Labor's website to learn more about Maryland’s current employment situation.
###