Overview of Local Hiring

A man wearing safety glasses looks intently at a piece of machinery inside an industrial building.


The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development helps to develop the skills of local job seekers that will result in Baltimore City residents filling job openings within the city. 

Baltimore City Local Hiring Law and Employ Baltimore Executive Order 

Contact Information

Email the local hiring team with any questions.

After a contract is awarded by the City:

The business or vendor meets with MOED Employer Services staff to talk about the staffing needs for the project. This meeting also lets businesses learn about the free services MOED offers, like tax credits, recruitment help, pre-screening, and training reimbursement.

When it’s time to hire new employees for a city-funded contract, the business sends the job postings to MOED.

The MOED Employer Services team then helps with hiring by:

  1. Sharing the job openings across the city for free

  2. Pre-screening applicants to find the best matches

  3. Offering free space for interviews

Finally, businesses turn in a simple report on their hiring to show they are following the rules.

Local Hiring Law

Baltimore City's Local Hiring Law went into effect on December 23, 2013, and requires compliance by vendors, contractors, and sub-contractors who do business with the City. The Law is applicable to City-awarded contracts over $300,000 and City-subsidized projects over $5,000,000. The Law requires businesses and all of their subcontractors to: 

  • Meet with MOED within 2 weeks after the contract award to complete an Employment Analysis
  • Post new jobs with MOED only for a period of seven days  
  • Utilize MOED’s recruitment services for new hires
  • Meet the goal: 51% of all new hires for City-funded contracts must be Baltimore City residents
  • Submit monthly employment reports with information on the number of current workers, new workers, and the Baltimore City residents working on the project

Workforce intelligence and data collected as a result of tracking the compliance of these ordinances are used to conduct labor market analysis and identify gaps between employer workforce needs and skill levels of Baltimore City residents. It also assists the workforce community to determine the types of training and credentials that Baltimore City residents require to successfully apply, obtain and sustain jobs with productive careers.

View a copy of Baltimore City's Local Hiring Law Effectiveness Summary:

Employ Baltimore Executive Order

The Employ Baltimore Executive Order, issued in December 2013, is applicable to city contracts greater than $50,000 and up to $300,000 (except for emergency and professional services). Businesses are required to:

  • Contact MOED to schedule a workforce meeting within two weeks after the contract award
  • Post new jobs with MOED only for a period of seven days
  • Utilize MOED’s recruitment services for new hires
  • Submit bi-annual employment reports

Local Hiring Law Rules and Regulations (updated May 2022)

Local Hiring Law FAQ

Vendor Guides:
Vendor Overview for B2Gnow
Vendor Guide for Completing an Employment Analysis
Vendor Guide for Completing Monthly Reports
Vendor Guide for Reporting New Hires