Maryland’s Declining Labor Force Participation Rate
The share of Maryland’s population participating in its labor force—those actively employed or looking for work—has dropped significantly over the last 15 years.
According data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compiled by the Liberty Foundation, a consortium of free market think tanks, Maryland’s labor force participation rate has dropped from 69.8 percent in 1999 to 67.4 percent in 2013. The labor force participation rate dropped as Maryland’s overall labor force increased 11 percent (2.8 million to 3.1 million) over that same time period. Full Liberty Foundation data compilation below.
The latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor statistics reported that the national labor force participation rate fell to 62.7 percent—the lowest in 30 years.
Maryland’s Labor Force Participation Rate 1999-2013 by Gender and Race
- Men: Dropped from 75.1 percent to 72.5 percent
- Women: Dropped from 64.9 percent to 62.8 percent
- Asian: Dropped from 74.8 percent to 64.1 percent*
- African-American: Dropped from 73 percent to 67.8 percent
- Hispanic/Latino: Dropped from 80.4 percent to 77.4 percent
- White: Dropped from 68.8 percent to 66.9 percent
- Asian Men: Dropped from 83 percent to 75.9 percent*
- Asian Women: Dropped from 68.3 percent to 56.7 percent*
- African American Men: Dropped from 72.5 percent to 68.7 percent
- African American Women: Dropped from 73.4 percent to 66.8 percent
- Hispanic/Latino Men: Dropped from 90.4 percent to 87.3 percent
- Hispanic/Latino Women: Dropped from 80.6 percent to 66.8 percent
- White Men: Dropped from 76.3 percent to 73.5 percent
- White Women: Dropped from 61. 8 percent to 60.7 percent
*Data for Asians only for 2003-2012.
