Maryland, which held the lowest state unemployment rate for several months in 2023, has seen its unemployment rate rise this spring, while Virginia’s unemployment rate edged lower last month.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Maryland’s unemployment rate in April was 2.6%, up from 2.5% in March. A year ago, Maryland’s unemployment rate was just 1.9%.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the Port of Baltimore idled thousands of port workers, which may have influenced Maryland’s unemployment rate last month. The number of Maryland residents receiving unemployment benefits jumped by almost 4,000 in April.
Virginia’s unemployment rate in April was 2.8%, down from 2.9% in March and slightly higher than the 2.7% unemployment rate the state recorded in April 2023.
State unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted.
North Dakota and South Dakota tied for the states with the lowest unemployment rate in April, at 2.0% each, followed by 2.1% in Vermont. California had the highest unemployment rate last month, at 5.3%. When compared to states, D.C. ranked second-highest, at 5.2% in April, followed by Nevada, at 5.1%.
Meanwhile, both Maryland and Virginia continue to gain jobs.
Maryland ended April with 27,303 more jobs than a year earlier. Virginia had an annual gain of 32,793 jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics posts monthly unemployment rates and changes in nonfarm payrolls online.
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