Maryland can encourage economic prosperity by making purposeful investments in good schools, quality infrastructure and access to affordable health care. These investments can help workers and families succeed and achieve economic security.
MDCEP conducts research and analysis on how Maryland’s workers are faring in the economy and advocates for effective policies that foster broadly-shared prosperity.
- Related News and Resources
Mass Deportation Is an Economic Threat to All Maryland Workers
Maryland’s economy depends on the labor of immigrant and U.S.-born workers alike, woven together across restaurants, construction sites, hospitals, farms, and warehouses throughout the state.
Trump’s Big Brutal Bill One Year In: Less Access to Food and Health Care, More Wealth for the Wealthy
July 4 will mark the first anniversary of H.R. 1, President Trump’s signature megabill (the inaptly named “One Big Beautiful Bill”). Marylanders are already feeling
Access to Opportunity: Implications of Implementing Small Area Fair Market Rent in Baltimore’s Neighborhoods
Having a safe place to live and raise a family is critical to economic security, health, and many other aspects of daily life. Maryland has some of the highest housing costs in the country[i] and, despite recent progress on tenants’ rights and worker protections like raising the state’s minimum wage and guaranteeing paid leave, too many people are forced to pay far more than they can afford in rent or accept unsafe, unhealthy housing conditions.
Budgeting for Opportunity: Maryland’s Workforce Development Policy Can be a Tool to Remove Barriers and Expand Opportunity
Every Marylander should have access to a decent job that pays enough to support a family – regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or any other aspect of their identity. However, the labor market we have today is far from this ideal. Too many jobs offer paltry wages or lack basic protections, and structural barriers disproportionately keep women, workers of color, and workers with disabilities out of good jobs.
What a $15 Minimum Wage Would Mean for Maryland
Maryland’s economy looks great on paper. We have a highly educated workforce, the highest median income in the country, and more millionaires per capita than any other state. At the same time, a small number of wealthy households have captured a rising share of our state’s economic growth in recent decades, leaving less for the rest of us. Since 1979, the top 1 percent of Maryland households have seen their incomes more than double (after adjusting for inflation), while wages for a typical worker increased by only 13 percent—equivalent to a 0.3 percent annual growth rate.[i] In short, Maryland’s economy today delivers enormous rewards to a few while leaving many more behind.
- Economy, Jobs & Workers Publications
Mass Deportation Is an Economic Threat to All Maryland Workers
Maryland’s economy depends on the labor of immigrant and U.S.-born workers alike, woven together across restaurants, construction sites, hospitals, farms, and warehouses throughout the state.
Work Requirements Won’t Fix Maryland’s Housing Crisis — They’ll Deepen It
Nearly 60,000 Marylanders — including almost 29,000 children — could lose the rental assistance that keeps a roof over their heads under a proposed federal
Annual KIDS COUNT® Data Book Reinforces the Importance of Policies That Improve Children’s Well-Being
The release of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book offers a clear window into how Maryland’s children and families are faring. With an
Policymakers Must Put Feeding Families Ahead of Politics
Unless something changes within the next few days, more than 690,000 Marylanders will suddenly be unable to put enough food on the table starting Nov.
Maryland Families Are More Financially Secure, Data Show, But Federal Actions Threaten Progress
Maryland’s children and families have seen areas of significant economic progress and lingering educational challenges since 2019, the year prior to the start of the
Immigrants Are Critical to a Healthy Economy in Maryland But Face Barriers to Opportunity
Maryland’s immigrant communities are driving economic and population growth in the state, according to a report the Office of the Comptroller recently published. But while