Maryland Unemployment Nearly Doubles as Electric Bills Rise $38 and Housing Permits Halve Under Moore
Updated
Updated · thebanner.com · May 24
Maryland Unemployment Nearly Doubles as Electric Bills Rise $38 and Housing Permits Halve Under Moore
1 articles · Updated · thebanner.com · May 24
Summary
Maryland’s unemployment rate is nearly double its level when Gov. Wes Moore took office, after federal cuts drove a year-over-year loss of 31,100 federal jobs in January and 800 more from February to March.
Average monthly electric bills in 2025 were nearly $38 higher than in 2022, reflecting supply costs, utility rate increases and plant retirements; a new Utility RELIEF Act is projected to save ratepayers about $150 a year.
Hourly pay has held up better: Maryland workers are still outpacing inflation, but the state’s wage premium over the U.S. has almost vanished, narrowing from about $3 an hour in 2013 to 30 cents so far this year.
Housing remains a major drag on affordability, with fewer than half as many units permitted last year as in 2022, when 22,800 were authorized.
The snapshot comes as Moore seeks another term, underscoring how federal dependence, rising utility costs and weak homebuilding are shaping Maryland’s broader cost-of-living crisis.