Military Movement Bolsters Maryland Job Growth

Maryland's job growth over the last several years has been significantly bolstered by the shift of military personnel to facilities in the state -- something Gov. Martin O'Malley and other state politicians can't take credit for.

But the growth was not nearly the boon many predicted the Base Realignment and Closure process would bring.

Between the start of fiscal 2009 on July 1, 2008, and Sept. 15, 2011, BRAC added 19,090 jobs to Maryland's economy, the majority of which were civilian positions, according to Lt. Col. Melinda Morgan, a spokeswoman with the Department of Defense. To put that into perspective, the state as a whole lost nearly 47,000 civilian jobs during the period, which included the start of the recession, according to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In fiscal 2011 alone, BRAC added 11,091 jobs, while the state as a whole added 13,300 civilian jobs. BLS does not track uniformed military positions.
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