Among the 30 states with large enough survey sample sizes, 56 percent of firms in Maryland plan to hire, more than in any other state. Conversely, only 14 percent of firms plan to hire new staff in South Carolina, the least amount of any state. Meanwhile, 37 percent of firms in Michigan plan layoffs for this year, the highest percentage of any state and no firms report planning layoffs in Maryland this year. More broadly, the employment outlook does vary based on region. A higher percentage (42 percent) of contractors working in the Northeast.
