Howard County, MD jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meHoward County economy
3.0%
unemployment, Sep 2026
3.9% the month before
185,084
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
333,916
people in Howard County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$146,982
median household income
Source: Census ACS
66%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Howard County ranks
Where Howard County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #3Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers66% · of 100
- #3Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Mid-Atlantic66% · of 100
- #5Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Mid-Atlantic37% · of 100
- #6Best county job markets for job seekers in the Mid-Atlantic72 / 100 · of 64
- #15Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Mid-Atlantic61 / 100 · of 64
- #16Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors37% · of 100
Howard County outlook: Building
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 4.2% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 1.9% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 3.0%, down 0.9 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+2,694 jobs), professional & technical (+1,061 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: information (−825 jobs), manufacturing (−661 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Howard County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Provider Partners Management Services To Lay Off 39 Employees in MarylandLatestLY · Oct 11, 2026
Learn and get funded in Howard County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Howard County layoffs
3
Layoff notices, last 12 months
132
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
3
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider Partners Management Services, LLCTakes effect Dec 7, 2026 | Columbia | 39 | Mass Layoff - No Recall | State record | |
| Grassroots Crisis Intervention CenterTakes effect Sep 29, 2026 | Columbia | 60 | Mass-Layoff - No Recall | State record | |
| DRB Systems, Inc.Takes effect Jul 27, 2026 | Elkridge | 33 | Plant Closure | State record |
Employers hiring most in Howard County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- HII Mission Technologies32 open roles
- Grace Therapeutics15 open roles
- Sargent & Lundy15 open roles
- Medstar Health10 open roles
- Bigbear8 open roles
- Caci, Inc. - Federal7 open roles
- RTX7 open roles
- Trinzic7 open roles
- Synergy ECP6 open roles
- Leidos5 open roles
Colleges in Howard County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland University of Integrative Health | Laurel | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Howard County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Maryland? How to file for unemployment in Maryland (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
Howard County Workforce Center
Columbia · Comprehensive · 410-290-2600
Monday - Friday 8:30am-4:00pm
Cities in Howard County
Other Maryland counties
Laid off or looking for work in Howard County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Maryland’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Maryland unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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