A Maryland Department of Human Resources employee has been fired for posting the Social Security numbers of 3,000 department clients on a Web site he created.

The state agency announced the employee’s termination on Friday, but would not release his identity.

The employee published the personal information of thousands of clients in April on a business Web site. The posting remained online for three months before it was discovered by state officials and taken down.

Department spokesmen said they have not identified the employee’s motive.