West Virginia offers a wakeup call for Maryland’s economy

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The head of a long-standing company in Maryland recently received a letter. It wasn’t from a vendor or a customer — it was from a neighboring state. The message was direct: “We want your company here.” That company, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business based in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, provides technology and engineering services to the Department of Defense and commercial markets. The letter came from West Virginia — one of several states actively recruiting Maryland businesses. The message was unmistakable: leave Maryland for a more business-friendly climate.
Business formation falters: Monthly business formation statistics published by the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that Maryland received 12.27 percent fewer new business applications from companies with planned wages when comparing the numbers from 2023 to those for 2024.

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