Maryland’s unemployment rate held steady at 7.7 percent in March after the state added nearly 35,800 jobs in Maryland, the largest increase among all U.S. states.

Virginia added 24,500 jobs, second most in the nation, and posted a jobless rate of 7.4 percent, up from 7.2 percent. It stood at 6.4 percent a year ago in March.

D.C.’s unemployment rate dropped from 11.9 percent to 11.6 percent. A year ago, the rate was 9.1 percent. D.C. added 7,900 jobs over the month. Out of that figure, about 1,800 construction jobs were injected.

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Plastek Industries is planning to add a consumer products division based in Richmond County, a move that will create several manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania (click here).

Plastek Industries say they will pay its workers an average annual wage of $32,800. The average wage in Richmond County is $26,600.

The company makes plastic packaging for such consumer and personal care items as deodorant sticks.

Plastek was started by Joseph Prischak in 1956 in Erie, Pa. as a tool manufacturer, Perdue said. It expanded into the plastics industry in the 1970’s.

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According to a forecast by Delta Associates, Washington, D.C. jobs are expected to grow within the next year, followed by increased growth in the next few years.

Washington, D.C. lost many jobs in 2009.

According to Washington Business Journal.com, the Washington area saw payroll employment decline by 29,200 jobs in the year ending January 2010, a 1 percent decline.

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Spending cuts in the state budget are expected to eliminate thousands of Virginia jobs, a new study suggests (click here).

The study says that Virginia will lose 37,000 jobs over the next two years.

The report, released Wednesday by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, also indicates that the ripple effects of a thinning work force could slow an economic recovery.

According to HamptonRoads.com, the analysis by the public-policy think tank comes less than two weeks after the General Assembly adopted a biennial budget that overcame a more than $4 billion shortfall partly through deep funding cuts to education and health programs.

“Our lawmakers have refused to acknowledge that the cuts that they’ve included in the budget are going to result in substantial job losses, not gains,” Michael Cassidy, the institute’s executive director, said during a Wednesday news conference.

“At a time when Virginians need ladders to get ourselves out of this deep economic hole that we are in, our lawmakers are handing out shovels and digging the hole even deeper,” he said.

Cassidy said the projected job losses would exceed the number of people currently unemployed in Virginia Beach, Richmond, Danville, Arlington County and Charlottesville combined.

They also would “dwarf the gains that have been projected for various economic development initiatives, business tax breaks and credits.”

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Forbes has said in a recent article that Washington, D.C. is emerging from the recession better than any city in the U.S., citing evidence that jobs in Washington are growing quickly.

Washington, D.C. has been in the news for many reasons lately, after it was pummeled by two snow storms and as the location for the sparring match between Republicans and Democrats over healthcare. But there are other reasons the city has been spotlighted.

The city has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, at 6.2%, and its output amounts to $362.3 billion, more than three times the average for the country’s largest cities.

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One year ago, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law, creating thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania.

According to an article on PRNewswire, in Pennsylvania, the success of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is clear. It has preserved 84,000 Pennsylvania jobs, according to a report from the President’s Council of Economic Advisers.

Extended unemployment and food stamp benefits have kept Pennsylvanians who lost their jobs from losing everything. Those benefits, coupled with the Making Work Pay tax cut, put money back into Pennsylvania communities and businesses when they needed it most. A study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that 189,000 Pennsylvanians were kept out of poverty last year as a result of these types of benefits in the Recovery Act.

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Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell proposes spending to recruit new Virginia Jobs in many sectors, including manufacturing, finance, and government.

According to his office, here are some of his plans:

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Two companies will soon help to create more Pennsylvania jobs (Click here).

Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Company of Pennsylvania Inc. will become North America’s largest processor of dark air-cured tobacco and Alpha Mills Corp. will create almost two dozen new jobs thanks to $2.7 million in new state investments.

“Even in a tough economy, we are helping businesses grow and become better able to compete in the global economy,” Gov. Edward G. Rendell said. “It’s vitally important that we continue our work to keep businesses in Pennsylvania and to bring new companies within our borders. If we lose the ability to do this, these crucial projects will go elsewhere.”

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Even though the state’s unemployment rate slightly increased, those looking for a job in Maryland last month may have had better luck, as more jobs were added.

During July, the state saw its unemployment rate increase from 7.2 percent to 7.3 percent, which is lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent. Maryland hasn’t seen its unemployment rate decrease since April, when it went from 6.9 percent to 6.8 percent.

Maryland had a total non-farm employment of 2,551,700 workers during July, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 2,541,700 workers during June, but a 1.9 percent decrease from last year.

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While many places throughout the country continue to lose workers and see their unemployment rate consistently increase, more Washington DC jobs were added last month.

During July, the District of Columbia saw its unemployment rate decrease from 10.9 percent to 10.6 percent. This is the first time the city’s unemployment rate has declined since March, but the lowered rate is still higher than the national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent.

D.C. had a total non-farm employment of 716,200 workers during July, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 703,000 jobs during June and a .9 percent increase from last year.

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