October 22nd, 2016 by WCBC Radio

Maryland payrolls recovered some ground in September, after declining sharply in August, according to new estimates the U.S. Labor Department released Friday.

Employers added 3,400 jobs in September and the unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent, well below the 5 percent national rate, the report said.

But Maryland's figures appeared stronger than they were, due to a sharp revision of previous estimates for August. Friday's report found the state lost 4,400 jobs in August, instead of adding 700 as was initially reported. Payrolls are down about 1,000 from July, according to the estimates.

The picture is brighter when looked at on an annual basis. The number of jobs in September was up about 1.7 percent from September 2015 — on par with the national growth rate and in line with previous months, according to the estimates, which are adjusted for seasonal variation.