The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
    • Contact
  • Investigations
    • Data
  • Donate
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • “If You Don’t Want Us To End Up In Blofeld’s Piranha Pond, You Must Buy My $4.2 Million Maine Cottage” – 007
  • A New Barrier Fence Is Among Nearly $5 Million Worth of Upgrades Being Made to the Blaine House This Year
  • Supreme Court Lets Trump Admin Move Forward With Slashing Education Department Staff
  • Youth Injured in Shooting at the Same Lewiston Housing Complex Where Another Teen Was Fatally Shot Last Year
  • Connecticut Man Arrested For Allegedly Luring a Minor to Lewiston Park
  • Troopers Investigating Fatal Hit-and-Run in Albion That Left Child Dead, Two Injured
  • Portland Bomb Squad Deems ‘Suspicious Package’ at Busy Intersection Not Hazardous
  • Lawsuit Against Midcoast Maine Private School Alleges Student Abuse That Officials Strongly Deny
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Monday, July 14
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
    • Contact
  • Investigations
    • Data
  • Donate
The Maine Wire
Home » News » News » Maine’s unemployment rate at 5.5 percent
News

Maine’s unemployment rate at 5.5 percent

Steve RobinsonBy Steve RobinsonAugust 19, 20146 Comments2 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Maine UI - JuneAUGUSTA – Maine’s unemployment rate remained at 5.5 percent for the month of July – the lowest since August of 2008, according to the Maine Department of Labor.

“Since we took office, almost 22,000 private-sector jobs have been created in Maine,” Gov. Paul R. LePage said in a statement.

Maine’s unemployment rate was well below the U.S. average of 6.2 percent and below the New England average of 5.8 percent. Rates for other New England states were 4.4 percent in New Hampshire, 3.7 percent in Vermont, 5.6 percent in Massachusetts, 7.7 percent in Rhode Island, and 6.6 percent in Connecticut.

“We have made progress, but we cannot stop now. Maine is still facing economic challenges from decades of failed policies from the past,” said LePage. 

The LePage administration also highlighted Maine’s employment-to-population ratio – a measure of the proportion of working-age Mainers in the workforce. At 61.4 percent, July was the 82nd consecutive month with Maine’s workforce participation rate above the national average.

Gov to Priv - June
(Click to enlarge)

These employment gains come despite – or perhaps because of — reforms implemented by the LePage administration that have shrunk the size of state government by 1,300 state workers. “Government accounted for only 16.3 percent of nonfarm jobs in June and July, its lowest share since May 1999,” according to the administration.

Not everyone in Maine is pleased with positive indicators of Maine’s economic health. Democrats and a Democrat-funded think tank continued to assail Maine’s economy with some questionable statistics.

The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), a liberal think tank that receives money from Maine’s top Democratic donor, S. Donald Sussman, continued to harp on its months-old report alleging that Maine’s economy under LePage is underperforming.

“Maine has recovered 63% of nonfarm payroll jobs lost during the recession. By comparison, the US has recovered 106% of jobs lost during the recession and New England has recovered 116%,” MECEP said in their report.

In stark contrast to these numbers, the New York Times reported in June, “only three states — Maine, Texas and Utah — have retraced more than half their losses” in employment since the recession ended in 2011.

economy jobs LePage
Previous ArticleFrary: The Michaud Enigma
Next Article Portland Wage Hike Potentially Devastating to Small Businesses
Steve Robinson
  • Twitter

Steve Robinson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire. ‪He can be reached by email at Robinson@TheMaineWire.com.

Subscribe to Substack

Related Posts

“If You Don’t Want Us To End Up In Blofeld’s Piranha Pond, You Must Buy My $4.2 Million Maine Cottage” – 007

July 14, 2025

A New Barrier Fence Is Among Nearly $5 Million Worth of Upgrades Being Made to the Blaine House This Year

July 14, 2025

Youth Injured in Shooting at the Same Lewiston Housing Complex Where Another Teen Was Fatally Shot Last Year

July 14, 2025

<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="8776 http://www.themainewire.com/?p=8776">6 Comments

  1. Nate Marvin on August 19, 2014 1:52 PM

    What exactly has the LePage administration done that has created these jobs he is taking credit for? Also, how many of these new jobs pay above $8-$11/hour? Not everyone can afford to work for Marden’s-level wages. This article really provides little useful information on how the administration’s policies have or have not worked for the state.

  2. Glen Thompson on August 20, 2014 10:51 AM

    How sad you are Nate. Throwing out loaded questions in hopes of implanting totally unfounded doubts in people. No answers, just phony questions. Typical far left radical agenda tactic where the self-appointed elitist thinks he is smarter than everyone else. Sorry, your tactics fooled no one. We are smarter than you think.

  3. Patrick Moran on August 30, 2014 7:21 AM

    What has Mike Michaud accomplished in 30 years of taking a government paycheck?

  4. Lilia Gayoso on October 5, 2014 1:21 PM

    jooouli

  5. porn on October 5, 2014 10:08 PM

    get it right here

  6. sex on October 6, 2014 9:19 AM

    get it right here

Leave A Reply

Subscribe to Substack
Recent News

“If You Don’t Want Us To End Up In Blofeld’s Piranha Pond, You Must Buy My $4.2 Million Maine Cottage” – 007

July 14, 2025

A New Barrier Fence Is Among Nearly $5 Million Worth of Upgrades Being Made to the Blaine House This Year

July 14, 2025

Youth Injured in Shooting at the Same Lewiston Housing Complex Where Another Teen Was Fatally Shot Last Year

July 14, 2025

Connecticut Man Arrested For Allegedly Luring a Minor to Lewiston Park

July 14, 2025

Troopers Investigating Fatal Hit-and-Run in Albion That Left Child Dead, Two Injured

July 14, 2025
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.