Business Climate
Workforce
Washington County has an available civilian labor force of approximately 69,750. In addition, businesses can pull workforce from Allegany and Frederick counties in Maryland; Franklin and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania; and portions of Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties in West Virginia.
| Employment* | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian Labor Force | 69,755 | 68,454 | 66,744 |
| Employment | 66,749 | 65,511 | 63,747 |
| Unemployment | 3,006 | 2,943 | 2,997 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.5% |
*Annual averages. Data are not seasonally adjusted. Figures represent the number of county residents employed, including those working outside of the community. SOURCE: MD Dept. of Labor, Licensing & Regulation, Office of Labor Market Analysis & Information (2006).
Regional Workforce Draw - March 2008
| State/County | Population* | Labor Force | Employed | Unemployed | Unemploy. Rate | No. of Commuters into Wash. County** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | ||||||
| Washington County | 145,113 | 68,727 | 65,149 | 3,578 | 5.2 | *** |
| Allegany County | 72,594 | 35,563 | 33,465 | 2,098 | 5.9 | 666 |
| Frederick County | 224,705 | 122,910 | 119,006 | 3,904 | 3.2 | 2,153 |
| Pennsylvania | Franklin County | 141,665 | 81,300 | 78,000 | 3,300 | 4.1 | 7,841 |
| Fulton County | 14,939 | 8,100 | 7,500 | 600 | 6.8 | 1,139 |
| West Virginia | ||||||
| Berkeley County | 99,734 | 45,080 | 42,750 | 2,330 | 5.2 | 4,696 |
| Jefferson County | 50,832 | 25,160 | 24,080 | 1,080 | 4.3 | 488 |
| Morgan County | 16,351 | 7,100 | 6,690 | 420 | 5.9 | 1,166 |
| Total Regional Workforce | 765,933 | 393,940 | 376,640 | 17,310 | 4.4 | 20,451**** |
- Employment and unemployment data are not seasonally adjusted.*Source: 2005 Population Estimates, prepared by U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, April 2005. **Source: 2000 Journey-to-Work Commutation, prepared by Maryland Department of Planning, Planning Data Services, from 2000 Census, March 2003.*** The total number of Washington County residents that commute out of the county: 16,378.**** Includes the total commutation into Washington County from Maryland, surrounding states and elsewhere.
- Note: According to a study conducted by The Pathfinders - In addition to the unemployed in the Washington County region, a new employer will be able attract employees from an additional pool of about 18,900 underemployed workers who have indicated an interest in changing jobs.
This section will present statistics on employment, occupation and wages. It will also cover the various educational and training programs available for employees and how these programs can help your business with the costs of finding and training new employees.