Staffing & Hiring
Where to start
Finding candidates: your local American Job Center will post your openings and screen applicants at no cost.
Training a new hire: look at Registered Apprenticeship and EARN Maryland before you hire, not after.
Offsetting hiring costs: the Work Opportunity Tax Credit has a 28 day deadline from the start of employment.
Meeting requirements: register for unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, and Maryland FAMLI.
Finding and recruiting workers
Maryland's workforce system is free for employers. American Job Centers operate in all 24 Maryland jurisdictions and will post your openings, screen candidates, and host hiring events at no cost.
Master - Workforce
Build your own talent pipeline with State supported training
- Maryland Office of Apprenticeship — The State office that registers and supports apprenticeship programs across Maryland industries.
- Build an apprenticeship program — Step by step guidance for employers starting a registered apprenticeship or joining an existing one.
- Youth apprenticeship — Connect with high school students through paid work based learning that builds your future workforce.
- Apprenticeship Training Fund — State funding that helps offset the cost of running a registered apprenticeship program.
- Commerce WorkSmart — Department of Commerce workforce development and training support for growing Maryland businesses.
Several tax credits reduce the cost of hiring. Most require you to apply or certify within a set window after the hire, so review them while you are still planning the position.
- Employment tax credits overview — The Department of Labor's index of federal and State tax credits available to Maryland employers.
- Work Opportunity Tax Credit — Federal credit for hiring from targeted groups. IRS Form 8850 must be postmarked within 28 days of the start of employment.
- Maryland Disability Employment Tax Credit — State credit for employers who hire and retain Marylanders with disabilities.
- Hire Our Veterans Tax Credit — State credit for small businesses that hire qualified Maryland veterans.
- Enterprise Zone Tax Credit — Credit for businesses that create jobs inside a designated Maryland enterprise zone.
- Maryland Business Growth Guide — Filterable tool from the Department of Commerce that matches your business to the right funding and incentive program.
Maryland employers have obligations that begin with the first employee. These are the State programs you register with.
- Maryland Paid Family and Medical Leave — Every Maryland employer with at least one employee must register. Check the FAMLI site for the current contribution and benefit dates.
- Unemployment insurance for employers — Register your business, file quarterly reports, and manage your account through BEACON, the State unemployment insurance portal.
- Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission — Coverage requirements and filings for Maryland employers, handled through the Commission's CompHub system.
- Maryland Business Express — Register your business, file annual reports, and manage State licenses and permits in one place.
Maryland Paid Family and Medical Leave
Paid family and medical leave is coming to Maryland! Starting January 1, 2028, Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) will make it possible for eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid, job-protected leave. Employees will be able to welcome a new child, tend to a serious health condition, care for a loved one, or manage urgent family needs related to deployment—while still being paid up to $1,000 per week.
FAMLI is an insurance program. Starting January 1, 2027, employers are responsible for withholding contributions that will be paid into a fund administered by the State. Up to half of the contributions can be withheld from employees via payroll deductions. Alternatively, employers may apply to use a private plan.