The Maryland Department of Labor, a supporter of Career Communications Group’s AI NEXTGEN America Conference, shared that Maryland added 2,000 jobs in July and August, matching the national growth rate of 0.1 percent.
Over the first eight months of 2026, the state gained 20,100 jobs with a 0.7 percent growth rate, higher than the national rate of 0.4 percent. The unemployment rate in Maryland dropped slightly to 4.1 percent, in line with the national average.
Maryland’s labor force participation rate fell to 63.7 percent but remains above the national average of 61.6 percent.
The biggest job gains in July and August were in Accommodation and Food Services (4,000 jobs), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2,800 jobs), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (1,500 jobs), Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation (900 jobs), and Government (600 jobs).
The largest job losses were in Construction (-2,900 jobs), Private Educational Services (-1,400 jobs), Health Care and Social Assistance (-800 jobs), Retail Trade (-800 jobs), Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (-700 jobs), and Other Services (-700 jobs).
In January, Governor Wes Moore started the Maryland Apprenticeship Incentive Program, a $5 million effort to help employers, including small businesses, hire and train registered apprentices.
The program, which was created through the governor’s Registered Apprenticeship Investment for a Stronger Economy (RAISE) Act of 2025, offers up to $3,000 per adult registered apprentice or $7,500 per high school-age registered apprentice for FY 2026.
“Apprenticeship is one of Maryland’s most effective tools for connecting residents with meaningful careers and helping employers shape the workforce they need to grow, and the Maryland Apprenticeship Incentive Program will help more employers participate,” said Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu. “By supporting the real costs of training, we are helping businesses thrive and helping Marylanders gain the skills they need to succeed.”
The Maryland Department of Health also launched the nation’s first environmental health specialist apprenticeship program with the Maryland Professional Employees Council and Morgan State University, giving participants hands-on public health experience.
Last year, the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland State Education Association launched the first statewide teacher registered apprenticeship program.
This program will help all 24 school districts find, train, and keep future teachers by offering a paid path to classroom careers and lowering the cost of earning a degree and license.
Career Communications Group (CCG), a national leader in technical publishing, STEM education, and workforce development, also announced it has completed its Teacher AI Training Materials.
This new set of resources helps teachers confidently use artificial intelligence in their classrooms.
The materials offer practical, ready-to-use content to help educators understand, teach, and use artificial intelligence responsibly while encouraging critical thinking, digital citizenship, and workforce readiness.
Completing the Teacher AI Training Materials is another step in CCG's mission to give educators the tools they need to bring artificial intelligence into teaching and learning. This supports Maryland's goal of preparing schools for AI.
The Maryland Department of Labor helped fund these materials, showing the state's commitment to ensuring educators and students have the AI knowledge and job skills needed for a changing economy.
This investment highlights the importance of professional development in helping Maryland's students prepare for careers shaped by artificial intelligence and new technologies.
