“Eight and a half years after the Great Recession began, there are still fewer Mainers with jobs than in 2007.” Maine still lacks a clear and coherent strategy for changing the story through job creation and retention, as well as attracting new skilled workers to the state. This should be at the top of the agenda for the new legislature when it returns in 2017.”
Augusta, Maine (Tuesday, August 20, 2016) The Maine Center for Economic Policy said that monthly state unemployment number released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showing the 4th consecutive increase in the state’s unemployment rate in August, to 4.0%, represents a correction from the artificially low unemployment rates reported earlier this year.
“The data has shown Mainers re-entering the workforce each of the past six months.” said James Myall, MECEP Policy Analyst. “This reflects increased optimism among Mainers in the state of the economy. Today’s BLS numbers suggest a slowing of any momentum.”
While there are officially 28,000 unemployed Mainers, up to another 22,000 residents who were in the labor force as recently as 2013 are not included in the official count for a variety of reasons.
“Eight and a half years after the Great Recession began, there are still fewer Mainers with jobs than in 2007,” Myall said. “The number of non-farm workers in Maine ticked down slightly in August, from 618,000 to 616,000. Maine’s employment woes are due to a combination of demographic factors and poor fiscal choices by the governor and legislators. Maine still lacks a clear and coherent strategy for changing the story through job creation and retention, as well as attracting new skilled workers to the state. This should be at the top of the agenda for the new legislature when it returns in 2017.”
