12,600 Maryland Jobs Could Be On Line In Fed Impasse

The federal budget sequester could reduce Maryland’s wage and salary base by about $2.5 billion and cut more than 12,600 jobs in a state that has more than double the number of federal jobs than the national average, according to a memo by state budget officials.

The memo by the Maryland Department of Budget and Management, obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, noted that the sequestration process is expected to reduce federal funding to the state and local governments by about $150 million. The department described the reduction as modest relative to the $9.3 billion in federal money in the state’s budget in fiscal year 2013.

The memo also noted that about two-thirds of federal funding received by the state is exempt from sequestration.

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