Maine’s Economy While signs of improvement appear, Maine unemployment remains at unprecedented levels While the latest data on Maine unemployment claims show some reason for hope, Maine’s unemployment levels remain at unprecedented levels three months after the coronavirus pandemic sent […] James Myall Posted June 12, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Unemployment
Health Care Black Mainers now 20 times more likely than whites to experience COVID-19 — and the disparity is growing Black and African American Mainers are now roughly 20 times more likely than whites to have contracted COVID-19, according to data released by the Maine CDC. One […] James Myall Posted June 5, 2020 Tags Coronavirus
Health Care, Maine’s Economy Job losses bring additional crisis for laid-off workers: loss of health coverage Between 72,000 and 131,000 Mainers could lose their employer-sponsored health insurance as a result of widespread layoffs spurred by the coronavirus pandemic, with as many as 31,000 […] James Myall Posted May 29, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Unemployment
Maine’s Economy Pandemic has erased one in six Maine jobs since February Maine lost nearly 106,000 jobs1 in the two months leading up to April 12 as Maine businesses laid off workers across the state because of the ongoing public […] James Myall Posted May 22, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Unemployment
Maine’s Economy Last week's expanded eligibility spurs largest UI claims spike since pandemic began Roughly 16,100 Mainers filed new unemployment claims in the week ending May 2, according to the Maine Department of Labor, representing the largest week-over-week increase in since […] James Myall Posted May 7, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Unemployment
Maine’s Economy Maine’s racial disparities laid bare by COVID-19 COVID-19 does not discriminate. Anyone exposed to the coronavirus can get sick, regardless of their race, ZIP code, or family income. Nevertheless, new data from the Maine […] James Myall Posted May 6, 2020 Tags Coronavirus
Maine’s Economy Small businesses need targeted relief that Payroll Protection Program does not yet provide On Thursday, Congress enacted a new round of funding for the Payroll Protection Program, or PPP, which provides loans to help businesses cover payroll and other expenses […] James Myall Posted April 24, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal
Jobs and Income Mainers eligible for $1.3 billion in stimulus payments, but many risk losing out The CARES Act — a $2.2 trillion relief package enacted by Congress to address the fallout from coronavirus — includes a provision for one-time payments to most […] James Myall Posted April 15, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal
Maine’s Economy Evictions and foreclosures increase coronavirus risks. A rent and mortgage freeze will protect us. The outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States has triggered an unprecedented economic downturn. Businesses are closing, workers are losing their jobs, and families face […] James Myall Posted April 7, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Housing
Maine’s Economy Federal action means help for out-of-work Mainers as unemployment claims continue to break records On March 27, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act into law. The $1.8 trillion package contains a number of provisions […] James Myall Posted April 2, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal, Unemployment