Statement From Governor Martin O'Malley On August Jobs Report

ANNAPOLIS, MD  - Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement following the U.S. Department of Labor’s release of employment data for the month of August.  The report shows Maryland’s employers shed 2,500 jobs last month, while the state’s unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a point to 7.3 percent. Maryland’s unemployment rate remains nearly 2 percentage points below the national level, and the state remains positive in job growth on the year, with 14,700 jobs created since January:

“While Maryland lost jobs this month, we continue to see a positive trend in job creation on the year in our State. Since January, Maryland has created 14,700 new jobs, a growth level better than most states. But our unemployment rate—still one of the lowest in the nation—shows that we still have far too many Marylanders out of work.

“We can’t play a four corners defense in this fragile recovery. Thirty-one states lost jobs this month. To create jobs and get people back to work, a modern economy requires modern investments. That’s why we’ve made record investments in public school construction, created a hiring tax credit, invested millions in speeding up loans to small businesses, and worked to cut red tape and fast-track development projects.  We are going to have bad and good months but we always move forward.

“President Obama understands the urgency of job creation too, and that’s why he’s proposed the American Jobs Act.  Many of the items in the Act build on the successful steps we’ve already been taking in Maryland.  And it would bring nearly 19,000 jobs to Maryland. I urge Congress to come together and pass this bill now.”