The Maryland AI Tracker portal integrates government data, academic research, and private analysis to monitor AI-related employment trends and business adoption. The platform aims to provide fiscal officials with a framework to evaluate how AI impacts tax revenues and public budgets, alongside workforce planning needs.
National hiring data shows 273,000 AI-related job postings in the U.S. during the first nine months of 2026, marking a 79% increase compared to the total for 2025. In the third quarter, AI positions accounted for 1.8% of all job postings, with California, New York, Washington, Texas, and Illinois leading in volume.
Regarding job displacement, employers cited AI as the reason for 120,136 announced job cuts through September 2026, representing 21% of total cuts. Long-term projections from the American AI Jobs Risk Index suggest that between 2.7 million and 19.5 million jobs are vulnerable to displacement within a two-to-five-year horizon.
The potential economic impact of displacement is estimated at $200 billion to $1.5 trillion in annual wage income at risk, with a midpoint of $757 billion. Vulnerability is highest in the information sector at 18%, followed by finance and insurance at 17%, and professional, scientific, and technical services at 16%.
A survey of 276 senior decision-makers revealed that 91% of respondents use AI, but only 32% have implemented advanced applications in core systems or automated processes. Most respondents do not anticipate immediate layoffs, with 64% expecting AI to expand employee capacity and 32% planning to slow recruitment.
The tracker will provide quarterly updates, with fiscal research briefs scheduled to begin in 2027. The project focuses on distinguishing between technical capabilities, employer hiring intentions, and modeled job losses to help policymakers identify needs for worker retraining and support.
