Maryland lost 5,700 jobs in March

Maryland employers shed about 5,700 jobs in March, a month when the nation experienced its weakest job growth since 2013, according to estimates released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The March losses followed seven consecutive months of increased hiring in Maryland, as the state's labor market — which had lagged behind the rest of the country — appeared to be picking up steam.

Payrolls in the public sector fell by 3,300, while the largest private-sector declines came in the professional and business services sector, which cut about 1,700 jobs. Jobs in the construction sector — often used as a bellwether for broader economic activity — declined by about 1,500, while manufacturing lost roughly 900 positions.

There were small gains in sectors such as financial activities, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality.

The unemployment rate in March was unchanged at 5.4 percent, just below the national average of 5.5 percent.

Daraius Irani, chief economist at Towson University's Regional Economic Studies Institute, said he is hopeful that the figures represent a temporary slowdown, as construction and tourism activity usually picks up in the spring.

"The national numbers sort of led the way," he said. "I don't think it portends anything too negative on the horizon. … Right now I'm going to say it's an aberration."

Maryland was one of 31 states to see payrolls decrease in March, the first time in 12 months that the U.S. added fewer than 200,000 jobs.

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