Maryland created eight times more private-sector jobs than Virginia last year, throwing a wrench into Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell‘s theory that his Republican-controlled state is friendlier to business than his Democratic rival to the north, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.
Maryland created 26,700 jobs from January 2011 through November 2011, or roughly one job for every eight unemployed residents, whereas the commonwealth created 10,900 jobs, or one job for every 25 unemployed Virginians, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nearly all of Maryland’s new jobs were in the private sector. By contrast, 70 percent of Virginia’s new jobs were in the public sector, including the state, local and federal governments. The industries that saw the most job growth in both states are also some of the highest-paid, with salaries ranging between $40,000 and $98,000.
| The jobs picture | |||
| Maryland | |||
| Top industries | Jan.-Nov. 2011 job growth | Average salary | |
| 1. Information (such as publishing) | 6.2% | $72,696 | |
| 2. Educational services | 6.0% | $39,520 | |
| 3. Professional and technical services* | 3.5% | $92,196 | |
| *Includes: Lawyers, accountants, auditors, architects, management analysts | |||
| Virginia | |||
| Top industries in Virginia | Jan.-Nov. 2011 job growth | Average salary | |
| 1. Management of companies and enterprises* | 2.6% | $97,708 | |
| 2. Transportation and warehousing | 2.5% | $47,112 | |
| 3. Finance and insurance | 2.0% | $67,340 | |
| *Includes financial managers, office managers, accountants, auditing clerks | |||
“We have had the best year of new job creation that we’ve had in any year since this recession hit,” O’Malley said. “We have recovered 43 percent of the jobs we’ve lost in the Bush recession. … Our neighbors in Virginia [have recovered] 30 percent.”
Maryland may have added more jobs last year than Virginia, but “overall, a larger percentage of our population is at work today,” said McDonnell spokeswoman Taylor Thornley.
Since McDonnell took office in January 2010, Virginia’s unemployment rate has fallen 1 percentage point to 6.2 percent. During the same period, Maryland’s unemployment rate, which is higher than Virginia’s, dropped 0.8 percentage points to 6.9 percent. Maryland has a total population of 5.7 million, while Virginia’s population is 7.9 million.
With the two governors taking on leading roles in their parties’ fight for power in November, their respective records on job creation have implications that extend far beyond Richmond and Annapolis.
McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, boasts that his state serves as a refuge for companies suffering under harsh regulations and high taxes in Maryland, and he rips Democrats nationally for fumbling on the economic recovery.
O’Malley, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, now has evidence that points to the contrary.
The top industries that saw gains in Maryland include information, such as publishing, educational services and professional and technical services. The average salaries for those jobs range from $39,520 to $92,196, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In Virginia, the industries with the highest levels of growth were in management of companies and enterprises, transportation and warehousing, and finance and insurance. Those industries pay salaries ranging from $47,112 to $97,108.
Staff Writer Steve Contorno contributed to this report.
