The Week Ahead

Last week on the blog, we celebrated the start of the new state fiscal year by featuring the highlights of this year's budget. We also marked Independence Day with Stateline's infographic, "Fourth of July, By The Numbers."

On Tuesday of last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its Metropolitan Area Employment report for May. Maryland's overall civilian unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, up from 6.4 percent in April and 6.7 percent the same time last year. The metropolitan areas of Baltimore-Towson, Cumberland, and Salisbury all saw small increases in their unemployment rates, while Hagerstown-Martinsburg's employment figures remained constant since April. 

Last week BLS also published its Employment Situation figures for June, which reported that the total nonfarm employment increased by 195,000 last month, keeping the unemployment rate at 7.6 percent. According to BLS, the overall employment situation has changed very little since February.

For the week of July 8th through 14th:

• On Tuesday, July 9th, the Maryland Pesticide Reporting and Information Work Group meets from 9am to noon in room 250 of the House Office Building at 6 Bladen Street in Annapolis. They will overview the current state pesticide laws and regulations.
• Also on Tuesday, BLS will publish its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for May at 10am.
• Later on Tuesday, the Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission has their regular bi-monthly meeting from 6pm to 8pm in the basement conference room of the Mental Hygiene Administration Building at 55 Wade Avene in Catonsville.
• On Wednesday, July 10, the Maryland Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Authority meets at 9am in the lower level conference room at One Call Center, 7223 Parkway Drive in Hanover.
• On Friday, July 12, BLS will issue its Producer Price Index numbers for June at 8:30am.