Delivering Results

Job Creation Tax Credit

Credit For Small Businesses

Innovative Partnerships to Create Jobs

BIO 2020 Plan for Maryland

Cyber Security

BRAC Jobs

Expanding Opportunity for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses

The Green Economy

Skills to Compete

Investing in Our Workforce

Where Maryland Ranks

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Jobs for Maryland

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Creating Jobs

Governor O’Malley understands that there is no government program as important to a family as a job, which is why he has been fighting to create and save jobs in Maryland, restore fiscal responsibility in Annapolis, and expand opportunities to families in our State.

With strategic tax cuts for small businesses, innovative partnerships at the Port of Baltimore and General Motors, and continued investments in Maryland’s growing biotech sector, Governor O’Malley and Lieutenant Governor Brown have put forward innovative new plans to continue creating jobs in Maryland.  As a result of these important investments, Maryland was ranked #2 in the country this year by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Under Governor O’Malley’s leadership, Maryland has fared better than most.  Maryland has retained jobs better than all but four states, and our unemployment rate remains almost 25% below the national average.  Maryland is one of only 8 states to protect a Triple A bond rating certified by all three major rating agencies—saving taxpayers millions.

While progress has been made, Governor O’Malley and Lieutenant Governor Brown understand that more needs to be done.  To continue to create jobs and drive business to our state, Governor O’Malley successfully fought for the Job Creation and Recovery Tax Credit, helping small business put unemployed Marylanders back to work. 

Governor O’Malley has implemented a rapid response small business loan guaranty program, created the Governor’s Commission on Small Business and initiated programs such as Biotech 2020 and InvestMaryland aimed at spurring investments and creating jobs in Maryland’s growing innovative industries.

Recognizing that our ability to create jobs depends on our ability to advance innovation, Governor O’Malley continues to invest heavily in Maryland’s “Innovation Economy” including life sciences, biotechnology, and cybersercurity and has set a goal to create 100,000 new green-tech jobs by 2015.  This year, we were ranked #2 in the country by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for entrepreneurship and innovation.

O'Malley-Brown: Strategic Goals

• Governor O'Malley has a plan to move Maryland forward and has set high goals so that we can continue to make progress on our shared priorities.
• Click here to learn more about Govenror O'Malley's goal to Create and save 250,000 jobs in Maryland by the end of 2012.

O'Malley-Brown: Delivering Results

Job Creation Tax Credit

• The Job Creation and Recovery Tax Credit signed into law this year by Governor O'Malley will give any business that hires an unemployed Marylander a tax credit of $5,000. In the FY2011 budget, Governor O'Malley allocates $20 million for the new jobs program.

Credit For Small Businesses

• With this year's budget, the O'Malley-Brown Administration created the Maryland Small Business Credit Recovery Program to streamline the loan approval process and allow the State to guarantee a small percentage of loans, helping banks provide much-needed capital for our small businesses.

Innovative Partnerships to Create Jobs

• Governor O'Malley announced a public-private partnership with Ports America Chesapeake to create 5,700 new direct and indirect jobs at the port.
• With incentives from the State of Maryland, General Motors announced that it will produce the next generation of electric drive motors at its facility in White Marsh. The company will construct a high-volume electric drive manufacturing facility at the Baltimore County Transmission plant, creating approximately 200 jobs and retaining hundreds more already at the plant.
• Video on the General Motors Plant.

BIO 2020 Plan for Maryland

• After launching Bio 2020, a 10-year, $1.3 billion investment in life science and biotech research and development, the O’Malley-Brown Administration is continuing their strong support in this emerging field by increasing the Biotech Tax Credit from $6 million to $8 million.
• Governor O'Malley was named 2010 BIO Governor of the Year for his outstanding leadership in growing and promoting Maryland’s biotechnology industry. The award was presented by Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) CEO Jim Greenwood and Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board (LSAB) Chairman H. Thomas Watkins

Cyber Security

• Governor O'Malley launched a multipronged strategy to build on Maryland's cyber security assets to create and protect Maryland jobs, and to advance the cause of security not just in our State but for our country and allies across the globe.

BRAC Jobs

• BRAC will bring an estimated 60,000 jobs to the State of Maryland. Governor O'Malley's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Subcabinet, led by Lt. Governor Brown recently, designated five "BRAC Zones" throughout Maryland in 2008 to help direct and prepare for BRAC-related growth opportunities while enhancing the quality of life for all Maryland citizens. In 2009, two more BRAC zones for workforce development were designated: the City of Aberdeen and Howard County.

Expanding Opportunity for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses

• Governor O'Malley and Lt. Governor Brown recently launched MBE University, a conference that travels throughout Maryland to offer training, opportunities, and information on the tools necessary for minority or women-owned businesses to expand and create jobs. In FY 2009, the State made $1 billion in procurement payments to MBE firms which helped create or save 18,906 jobs.
• In Fiscal Year 2009, Maryland state agencies achieved 22 percent MBE participation, up from 20 percent in the previous year. These include over $1.6 billion in awards to MBE firms, an increase of 26 percent in one year, and $1 billion in payments to MBE firms.

The Green Economy

• Governor O'Malley launched the Maryland Clean Energy Center, which is tasked with moving Maryland forward by creating 100,000 new green jobs statewide through the development and deployment of clean energy technologies all across our State.
• The Sustainable Communities Act of 2010 proposed by the Administration this year will provide $10 million in tax credits in FY 2011 to support thousands of construction jobs to revitalize our communities and neighborhoods.

Skills to Compete

• Governor O'Malley launched the Maryland Skills2Compete program to prepare our citizens for the increasing number of "middle-skill" job openings. The initiative will ensure that every Marylander has access to at least two years of training or education past high school.

Investing in Our Workforce

• Governor O'Malley created the Higher Education Investment Fund, Maryland's first-ever dedicated funding source for higher education. Since being established in 2007, the HEIF has invested more than $100 million in Maryland's institutions of higher learning, with more than $42 million planned for this year alone to make critical investments in higher education and workforce development possible across our State.
• Governor O'Malley's budgets have increased student financial aid by $95 million, with a record investment of $462 million for tuition assistance and scholarships to help more students and families across Maryland realize their dreams of a college education.
• Governor O'Malley has invested 35% more in Maryland's community colleges since taking office, bringing the total 4-year commitment to $1 billion.

Where Maryland Ranks

• Under Governor O’Malley’s leadership, Maryland was ranked #2 in the country this year by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for entrepreneurship and innovation and #3 by the Kaufman Foundation for our ability to move forward in the New Economy.
• In 2009, Maryland retained jobs better than all but 4 other states in the country. Additionally, 58 new business enterprises decided to locate in Maryland last year, creating or saving 6,465 jobs.
• Maryland's unemployment rate in Maryland remains more than 25% below the national average as the Administration continues to work with local and national business partners to expand opportunity in every part of our state.
• Under Governor O'Malley, Maryland is one of only eight states to maintain a Triple A bond rating certified by all 3 major bond rating agencies—saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
• Forbes ranked Maryland #12 in the country for the best states to do business in in 2009, #8 for labor rank and #7 for growth prospects.  They also cited Maryland as one of only three states where the economy is expected to grow this year.