Statement From Governor Martin O’Malley On PRELIMINARY JULY JOBS REPORT

ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 17, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley today released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Labor’s release of preliminary employment data for the month of July in which Maryland’s private sector created 2,400 jobs.

“Maryland’s private sector businesses created 2,400 new jobs last month – leading Maryland’s progress in this recovery with 96 percent of the total 22,600 jobs we’ve created over the past 12 months, the best July to July of private sector growth since before the Bush recession. Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revised their preliminary June jobs report upward by 2,900 jobs.

“Today, over 18,000 more Marylanders are working than compared to last July. But in this fragile jobs recovery, every job counts. As moms and dads continue to fight to put food on the table, together, we must do everything in our power to create jobs and expand opportunity for a better, stronger future. We cannot afford to go back to the job-killing policies that led our nation to record job losses and badly damaged state economies. We cannot afford to slash the safety net that so many of our most vulnerable people depend on, and we cannot afford to make deep and lasting cuts to critical job-creating initiatives as we fight to make progress in this recovery.

“Progress is a choice. Job creation is a choice. And together, Marylanders continue to make the choices to move forward—by educating, innovating and rebuilding our economy—because the most important job we create is the next one.”