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Maryland ends the year with almost 15,000 fewer federal jobs than it had at the start of the year, according to the latest estimates from the Maryland Department of Labor.
The department聽聽that the state lost another 700 federal jobs in September, the most recent month for which estimates were available. That continued an eight-month string of falling federal employment numbers and maintained Maryland鈥檚 spot as the state with the most federal jobs lost this year.
Maryland has lost about 9% of its federal workforce since January, falling from an estimated 163,100 federal jobs in the state then to about 148,500 as of September, the department said.
The loss of 14,600 federal jobs in Maryland is part of the larger effort by the Trump administration to slash the size of the federal workforce. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor wrote in a Nov. 21聽聽that while the government had hired 鈥渞oughly 68,000 people this year 鈥� approximately 317,000 employees left the government,鈥� a loss rate more than 4 to 1.
鈥淭his is the first time we鈥檙e under this kind of threat,鈥� said Paul Schwartz, a retired federal worker and regional vice president for NARFE, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. Schwartz cover Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., for the organization.
The District, Maryland and Virginia lost a combined total of 34,100 federal jobs from January to September. Many Maryland residents work federal jobs in the DMV area 鈥� 269,000 Maryland residents were employed by the federal government in 2023, according to a Maryland Labor Department聽.
鈥淭his Administration started a witch hunt against our civil servants on Day 1, disproportionately impacting Marylanders,鈥� Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) said in a statement. 鈥淭hese men and women have worked under Democratic and Republican presidents. Their only allegiance is to the American people they serve.鈥�
The loss in Maryland could have been worse: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, where the Maryland Labor Department draws its data, revised its August data that originally reported a loss of 2,500 federal jobs in Maryland to a loss of 1,300 federal jobs.
But the numbers are not likely to get better. The September data did not include the deferred resignations that were scheduled to take effect Oct. 1. The so-called聽鈥渇ork in the road鈥� option, offered to federal employees in January, gave them the choice to receive pay and benefits through Sept. 30, according to聽聽sent to federal employees.
The most recent numbers also do not reflect any effect of the 43-day government shutdown, from October through mid-November, the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Because of the shutdown, employment data was not collected by BLS in October. The state Labor Department said its next report, on November, would be available in January.
鈥淭he ongoing loss of federal jobs stands to have a substantial impact on Marylanders who have spent their careers in public service as well as people across the country who count on the services our federal government provides,鈥� Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu said in a statement.
The department has provided support to federal workers throughout both the government shutdown and the shrinking of the federal workforce, offering job fairs, workshops and a $700 emergency loan for laid-off federal workers, among other support, Wu鈥檚 statement added.
Schwartz thinks the shrinking of the federal workforce will hurt more than just the affected workers.
鈥淭here are three different groups of victims with what鈥檚 going on now: It鈥檚 the federal employees who lost their jobs, it鈥檚 the federal employees who kept their jobs, but are seeing their benefits eradicated, and it鈥檚 everyone else who doesn鈥檛 understand what they鈥檙e going to be losing when they have a federal workforce that isn鈥檛 as experienced as you need it to be to be effective,鈥� he said.
Competition for new jobs among federal workers will pose another problem for those who were laid off, Schwartz said. Many skills are niche to specific roles in the government, making the transition to a new role difficult.
鈥淎 lot of these jobs that are in the government 鈥� you can work your way up based on your skills, but they don鈥檛 translate into the private sector as well,鈥� Schwartz said.
The loss of federal jobs is also a blow to Maryland鈥檚 economy, as those looking for jobs are not paying as many taxes, he added.
Schwartz was told when he started in the federal workforce in 1973 that he would not be wealthy, but he would have security and benefits from his job. Federal workers today are still not wealthy, he said, but now they don鈥檛 have security, either.
鈥淭he federal government is there to provide a service, not to make a profit,鈥� Schwartz said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a dismantling of the federal government that I worked hard for.鈥�
