In percentage of owners as well as earnings, Black-owned businesses lag behind white counterparts in Maine

Black Mainers are less likely to own a business than white residents, and those who do report earning substantially less money than white peers, according to publicly available data.

While this is consistent with national trends, a lack of detailed, up-to-date statistics hampers deep, state-level analysis. Researchers and advocates say more information is needed to understand the situation in Maine — and take steps to reduce disparities.

“The Census Bureau withholds a lot of the data for small groups, which unfortunately means not much data for Black communities,” said James Myall, a policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy.

Click here to read the full story, first published December 6, 2020, in The Maine Monitor.