SEABROOK – Prince George’s County has reached a new high in job numbers, according to state data. The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) releases a Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), which DLLR describes on its website as “the sums of individual establishment records” that “reflect the number of establishments that […]
SEABROOK – Prince George’s County has reached a new high in job numbers, according to state data.
The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) releases a Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), which DLLR describes on its website as “the sums of individual establishment records” that “reflect the number of establishments that exist in a county or industry at a point in time.” The data for the third quarter of 2016 shows 317,227 jobs in Prince George’s County, with an average quarterly employment for the year through the end of the third quarter at 313,192 jobs. County Executive Rushern Baker, III said this represents the highest level of third quarter employment in the county since 2007.
“One of the best feelings comes from talking to a county resident whose job was saved or created as a result of the county’s efforts,” Baker said. “For far too long, Prince George’s County was a place where people lived, but did not work. We have begun to change that trend, which is going to be better for our quality of life, the environment, our budget, and the limitless possibilities that lie in the future for this county.”
The QCEW data shows an increase of 3,614 jobs over the second quarter. In contrast, counties such as Calvert, Cecil, Garrett, Queen Anne’s, Saint Mary’s, Talbot and Worcester showed decreases in the number of jobs from quarter two to quarter three.
Specifically, the QCEW data shows that in Prince George’s County, monthly employment in the local government sector rose from 38,125 in the first quarter to 44,697 in the third and in the state government sector from 18,171 to 20,866, with modest increases in the goods-producing, construction and education and health services industries as well. Between the first and third quarter, monthly employment in service-providing industries such as information and financial activities declined by fewer than 100 total jobs.
Over a 12 month period, Prince George’s County gained 7,850 new, permanent jobs, which is 22 percent of the total job growth in Maryland, Baker said. Some jobs included in quarterly totals are seasonal and not counted as permanent. During the 36 month period, 15,070 permanent jobs were added. Those figures do not include MGM National Harbor’s projected 3,600 jobs, since the facility opened in the fourth quarter.
Baker said he was always confident the county could see job growth like this.
“Six years ago, I stated that Prince George’s County would become the economic engine of this region and state,” he said. “The reactions I generally received to that declaration were that I was being very optimistic and hopeful, or they were patronizing, assuming that I was naïve. But I knew that we had the location, the resources, and, most importantly, the residents and a business-base to make this happen. We all needed to start rowing in the same direction, and we have.”
The administration points to programs such as the Economic Development Incentive Fund and changes in government, such as ethics reform and the creation of the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement, as reasons for the job growth.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is also touting the jobs growth across Maryland as a whole. His office said the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 6,700 jobs were added in January 2017. And Hogan claims his administration’s policies are fueling the growth.
“For the last two years, our administration has been laser-focused on bringing jobs and businesses back to Maryland,” Hogan said. “These latest jobs numbers show that this hard work is paying off and making a difference for Marylanders and their families across the state. We remain as committed as ever to growing the private sector and putting people back to work.”
The Baker administration said in addition to the MGM jobs from the fourth quarter, other development projects such as the revitalization of Iverson Mall and the Mall at Prince George’s, the construction of a new regional medical center and the potential relocation of the FBI headquarters to the county will pave the way for even more job growth in the future.
