Mainers struggle financially amid pandemic

It’s been nine months since the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses across the state to shut down. Even though restaurants are now open on a limited basis, the state employment ranks have yet to bounce back to pre-COVID levels.

One group said Mainers are struggling to keep up with household expenses.

“About a third of Maine adults, about 350,000 adults, said they have trouble paying their usual household expenses. That could be groceries, that could be rent, could be utility bills. That 350,000 number is significantly larger than the number of Mainers who lost their jobs,” said James Myall, analyst of MECEP.

Click here to read the full story, first published December 7, 2020, in Fox Bangor.