The Week Ahead

Last week we blogged about new family employment figures. This week keep an eye out for the release of our fourth State of Working Maryland 2012 video, on paid sick leave.

For the week of April 29nd through May 5th:

• On Monday, April 29th, the Durable Medical Equipment Provider Task Force discusses recommendations to the Board of Pharmacy regarding which prescription devices it should regulate, from 1-3pm in the Metro Executive Building rooms 108-109, 4201 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore.
• Also on Monday, the Alcoholic Beverages Article Review Committee meets to discuss per diem licenses at 5pm in the Judicial Training Room, 2009F Commerce Park Drive, Annapolis.
• On Wednesday, May 1st, the Maryland Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Authority meets at 9am in the Lower Level Conference Room at the One Call Center, 7223 Parkway Drive, Hanover.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases metropolitan level employment figures for March. Preliminary data for February showed declining unemployment rates in all Maryland metros, compared to one year prior (the data is not seasonally adjusted and therefore must be examined by comparing February 2013 with February 2012).
• Also on Wednesday, the Board of Public Works meets at 10am in the State House.
• Wednesday afternoon sees a meeting of the Health Services Cost Review Commission at 1pm in room 100 of 4160 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore.
• On Friday, May 3rd, BLS releases national employment figures for April. Preliminary data for March showed a slight decline in the unemployment rate.

State of Working Maryland 2012

The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute releases The State of Working Maryland 2012 today, documenting the continued stress and uncertainty working families face in Maryland. Although there has been some improvement in employment compared to the 2011 report, many other indicators show that times remain tough. 

• Maryland’s unemployment rate stands at 6.7 percent for October. Over the course of 2012 the rate increased and then subsided, ranging from a low of 6.5 percent in January to a high of 7.1 percent in August.

• The productivity of American workers continues to grow, but wages are growing at a much slower rate. From mid-2011 to mid-2012 productivity increased by 1.7 percent but average wages only increased 0.1 percent nationwide.

• More than one of every ten Marylanders lives below the national poverty level. The rate doubles for African-Americans, for families where the head of household lacks a high school education, and for families of single moms.

• Maryland’s median household remains the nation’s highest. But there are large regional, educational and racial disparities. Median income in Allegany County or Baltimore City is just over one third that in Howard County.

• While incomes have grown for Maryland’s highest earners, incomes for the poorest segment of the workforce have fallen behind prices since 1986.

• 765,000 Marylanders lack health insurance coverage. The number of Marylanders who got health coverage through their employers continued to decline while those getting public coverage (such as Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance) increased.

• Property foreclosures are now declining, but decent housing remains unaffordable for many families. More than half of Marylanders—whether renters or homeowners—devote over 30 percent of their incomes to housing.

• The costs of other necessities for working families are high and growing. Energy costs for Marylanders at all income levels greatly exceed the benchmark level of 6 percent of income. Public energy assistance programs address less than 10 percent of the energy affordability gap. Childcare costs have increased to the point where they are essentially equal to college tuition.

• Education remains the best route to a secure job with a good wage. But college costs are growing as a share of income and unmanageable college debt is a looming problem for more and more graduates.

Maryland and national lawmakers need to support policies that support working families in the present and build broadly shared economic prosperity in the future. To read more of MBTPI's analysis and our policy recommendations for the new year read The State of Working Maryland 2012.