Md. gained 5,300 jobs in September; jobless rate fell to 4%

Maryland’s unemployment rate fell from 4.3% to 4% last month as the state, buoyed by hiring in the hospitality sector, added 5,300 jobs, according to preliminary data released Friday by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The nation’s unemployment rate as of September was 3.5%. The leisure and hospitality sector in Maryland had the most jobs gained in September, state officials said, with 3,500 jobs added from the accommodation and food services (2,600) and arts, entertainment, and recreation (900) subsectors. Other gains were reported in the professional and business services (800) and trade, transportation, and utilities (700). Some sectors saw losses, chiefly the financial activities sector, which decreased by 2,000 jobs, and the manufacturing sector, which lost 200 jobs.