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Support for Maryland Businesses - Workforce Development & Adult Learning

The Maryland Department of Labor and partners work closely with local workforce systems across Maryland to provide employers with a wide range of valuable business services.

Resources to maximize your talent pool

Maryland Workforce Exchange

The Maryland Workforce Exchange offers key online tools and resources for employers, including free job postings, candidate resume searches, and special designations such as Second Chance Employer opportunities. Additionally, employers can access features on the go using the MWEJOBS Mobile App.

Hiring and retaining employees with disabilities

Employers that embrace disability inclusion consistently report benefits like broader talent pipelines, higher employee engagement and retention, increased innovation, stronger customer relationships, and workplaces that are more welcoming for everyone.

A 2023 report from Accenture found that companies that led on key disability inclusion saw 1.6x more revenue and 2.6x more net income, and outperformed industry peers in productivity by 25%.

There are more than 350,000 working-aged Marylanders with disabilities in Maryland, who may have the knowledge, skills, and abilities that your business is looking for.

Access these resources to learn more:

Hiring veterans and their spouses

Veterans have valuable leadership, organizational, and technical skills that are transferrable to public and private sector positions. Hiring veterans and their spouses may also make an employer eligible for tax credits. A Business Services representative from your local American Job Center can provide additional information regarding Maryland’s hiring and promotional preferences for veterans and their spouses.

Talent recruitment tailored for your business

The Business Services team can meet with you to provide tailored talent recruitment support. After fully understanding your company needs, Business Services professionals with expertise in your region's labor market will identify a highly qualified pool of talented candidates for your consideration.

The Business Services team can minimize your recruitment costs by:

  • Advertising your recruitments for free
  • Recruiting talent based on your specifications
  • Screening applications to identify the most qualified
  • Connecting you to job readiness training at no cost to applicants
  • Holding job fairs and providing venues for interviews
  • Linking candidates to assistance with transportation options, child care and other resources
  • Providing information for you about tax incentives, business demographics, employee commute patterns, occupational wages, and more

Training, employee retention and on-the-job experience

The Business Services team will work with you to retain employees and minimize turnover by:

  • Suggesting EARN Maryland grant opportunities for incumbent worker skills training
  • Connecting you to on-the-job training programs
  • Providing information about apprenticeships and college internships
  • Assisting with succession plans in preparation for staff retirements
  • Establishing career pathways for employee growth and retention
  • Re-tooling employees for new technologies and new lines of business
  • Assisting with employee transitions resulting from company downsizing

Support during dislocation events

We provide support for organizations of all sizes during layoff and closure events. Learn about the requirements for reporting these events on our page about Work Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) and other dislocation notices.

Please note that Maryland’s Economic Stabilization Act (ESA) sets notification standards for job reductions that are more rigorous than the federal WARN. If you are a Maryland employer with 50 or more employees in Maryland and you plan to reduce staff at a workplace by at least 25% or 15 employees (whichever is greater), you must provide notification at least 60 days in advance of the reduction in operations. Violating the ESA may result in civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day.

Learn more about the WARN and ESA rules, and how to file notification with the state, on the WARN/ESA webpage.

Additional Resources