Business

Howard County has it all — affluence, quality education, health care and recreation — but no community escaped the Covid-19 pandemic unscathed. As local businesses confront fluctuations in employment, rising interest rates and changing work habits, Jennifer Jones, a Howard County native and player in local politics, is bringing new eyes to the challenges of post-pandemic business as CEO of the Howard County Economic Development Authority.

The labor market is stable and healthy, economists and policy experts say, although the unemployment rate ticked up in the month of August. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report released Friday showed that unemployment rose to 3.8% in August from 3.5% in July. Meanwhile the economy added 187,000 jobs, above expectations of 170,000 jobs from economists polled by Reuters. In July, 157,000 jobs were added.

Maryland ranks as one of the best states for workers, but there is still room for improvement, according to an annual ranking from Oxfam, a global organization focused on inequality and poverty. Maryland ranked 14th overall in the 2023 Best States to Work Index. California ranked first; North Carolina ranked last. Oxfam’s index takes into account worker-friendly policies in three areas: wages, worker protections and the right to organize.

Bethesda-based hospitality giant Marriott International Inc. on Friday announced the milestone opening of its 50th hotel in Thailand with the Madi Paidi Bangkok, Autograph Collection. Marriott expects to add a further 10 hotels by the end of 2024 across its luxury, premium, select and longer-stay brands. The company’s Ritz-Carlton brand is set to debut in Bangkok in 2024 with the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Bangkok, occupying the first 24 floors of a 50-story tower in the upcoming One Bangkok mixed-use development.

Giant Food plans to shut down its delivery warehouse in Hanover after more than four years in operation. The 150,000-square-foot warehouse at 1020A Airport 100 Way in Hanover is a major hub for the grocer’s Giant Delivers home delivery service. The closure is scheduled for Oct. 21 and will entail 362 layoffs, according to a plant closure notice filed on Maryland’s Work Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) log.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works (DPW) and officials from the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) and Standard Solar officially celebrated the completion of a solar project providing clean energy to the Bureau of Utility Operations (BUO) Complex in Millersville. The event highlighted the capital project that consists of a combination of four carports and seven rooftop solar arrays, producing 1.3 megawatts (MW) of power.

Following extensive renovations over the last nine months, a South Baltimore brewery is ready for its new space. Checkerspot Brewing Co. has moved from its original space a few blocks away to 1421 Ridgley St. and will open the new facility on Sept. 1. While the brewery has grown in size and hopes to expand production, the owners are bringing the same personal style that customers have grown to know over its five years in business.

The Maryland Cannabis Administration is launching a state-run lab to ensure the safety of the drug in response to product recalls and testing fraud in the cannabis industry. The Board of Public Works approved a lease for the new lab in Baltimore on Aug. 23. The Maryland Cannabis Administration or MCA will pay roughly $268,000 a year to lease a 5,934 square foot space at 6200 Seaforth Ave. at the Holabird Industrial Park in Southeast Baltimore, starting March 2024.