Months after federal layoffs, Maryland workers struggle to find jobs

Jennifer Erie had planned to spend 20 years working in foreign public service. Instead, her 17-year career ended abruptly when the overseas public health office she led was dismantled. Seven months later, back home in Prince George’s County, she has submitted more than 250 job applications — and landed just two interviews. “It was such a shock to my system,” Erie told The Baltimore Sun in a phone interview. “I have so much trauma. …This came out of nowhere, and I was unprepared.” Her experience reflects a broader strain across Maryland, where a wave of federal layoffs, layered onto an...