Howard Unemployment Hits Record

According to the Sun's ExploreHoward blog, we've hit a new high, although we're curious how far these records go back.

The county’s unemployment rate climbed from 5.1 percent in May to 5.8 percent in June, the highest unemployment rate on record for the county. Montgomery County was the only county with a lower rate, with 5.7 percent unemployment.

Howard's unemployment rate amounts to about 9,100 people out of work, according to the state Division of Workforce Development.

Federal statistics, which date back to 1990, show Howard County never reached 5 percent unemployment until this year. Last year’s average unemployment rate was 3.1 percent.

Howard County’s climb also mirrors the state as a whole, which saw its unemployment rate climb from 7.1 percent in May to 7.5 percent in June. Baltimore City has the highest unemployment rate in the state at 11 percent.

Compared to the rest of the country, however, Maryland is doing comparatively well when it comes to jobless numbers. The national unemployment rate has been rising steadily all year, climbing to 9.5 percent in June.