Nearly 25,000 recorded federal job losses in 2025 align with previous projections
Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman joined Governor Wes Moore and Treasurer Dereck Davis for a meeting of the Board of Public Works. Governor Moore opened the meeting by discussing the jobs report released today by the Maryland Department of Labor. The report reveals the state had lost 24,900 federal jobs between January and November 2025, due to job reductions implemented by the Trump Administration.
“The numbers are incredibly concerning for a number of reasons. One, because they represent not a thoughtful approach to making government more efficient, but a whack-a-mole attack on important federal services,” Comptroller Lierman said.
Comptroller Lierman explained that state jobs data and withholding revenues are not perfectly aligned because there are Marylanders who are employed in surrounding states. She noted that 39% of Marylanders struggle to afford necessities, and that the success of high earners can overshadow the challenges faced by low- and middle-income families. Comptroller Lierman also emphasized the need to attract and retain an educated workforce and make Maryland more affordable.
“We know that more families and younger workers have left Maryland since the pandemic because it has become less affordable relative to the peer states,” Comptroller Lierman said. “If we continue to center Marylanders and Maryland businesses where they are this year, I know that we will continue to be a resilient and resurgent state.”
Data shows that in October and November, federal employment declined by 10,300 jobs, reflecting job eliminations through the federal Deferred Resignation program, which began on October 1, as well as other attrition.
“What is happening to the State of Maryland that these are not glancing blows. These are direct shots. They are direct shots that are impacting every single corner of our state,” Governor Moore said. “We know the people who this is actually impacting. It’s the people who are working in Frederick County, Montgomery County, Carroll County, Baltimore County, and Prince George’s County; people who had good, strong, reliable jobs. People who were public servants,” he added.
Governor Moore shared that Maryland’s unemployment rate rose from 3.8% in September to 4.2% in November, which remains below the national average.
The nearly 25,000 job losses between January and November 2025 account for 15% of all federal government jobs outlined by the Federal Impact Report published in June 2025 by the Comptroller of Maryland, in partnership with the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. Comptroller Lierman thanked Governor Moore and Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu for their transparency, pointed out that the federal job losses are also in line with projections presented to the Board of Revenue Estimates in September.
Later, Comptroller Lierman emphasized the importance of maintaining a state of good repair for state assets, highlighting a contract by the Maryland Transit Administration for breaker refurbishment. She also applauded the Maryland Arts Council and the work through the Maryland Arts Capital Grant Program, a program she championed as a delegate in the Maryland General Assembly.
“In every region of Maryland, we are fortunate to have a vibrant arts scene, and that is because of the important work that the Maryland State Arts Council does in administering not only this program but the operating grant programs as well. I know that Maryland will continue to be a leader in the nation for arts and culture and ensure the same access we enjoy today for generations of Marylanders to come.”
In all, the Board of Public Works approved 97 items, representing a total State expenditure of $223,593,856.10, including:
- Grant agreements for 23 recipients for 28 projects located in nine counties and Baltimore City with a total value of $8,847,000.
- 11 items awarding $9,321,448.77 to certified small business primes.
- Six items awarding $6,097,376.80 to certified minority business enterprise primes.
- Nine items awarded with established participation goals for minority business enterprises.
The next meeting of the Board of Public Works will be held on January 28, 2026.
