Maine’s unemployment rate has remained steady in recent months, coming in at 3.3 percent in June. The seasonal increase in hospitality jobs has for a second month continued to be less substantial than normal.
Last month, the Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) appeared to suggest that the extraordinarily rainy weather experienced throughout the state in May could have potentially contributed to the relatively stagnant pace of job growth.
Labor force participation again dropped slightly to 59.9 percent in June, a figure that is notably lower than the national rate of 62.3 percent.
Labor force participation rates are representative of the proportion of working-age individuals who are either employed or actively searching for work.
Although there are a number of different ways to calculate the labor force participation rate, the MDOL arrives at its statistics by considering all individuals over the age of 16. Consequently, retirees and other elderly individuals are included in these numbers.
As a result, it can be more complicated to parse these statistics, particularly given Maine’s aging population.
[RELATED: Unemployment Rates Consistent in Maine, But Tourism and Hospitality Hiring Slower Than Normal]
At the same time, Maine’s unemployment rate is about one point lower than the national rate of 4.1 percent, as well as the regional rate of 4.2 percent.
Maine’s private sector work week averaged 33.1 hours in June, while earnings averaged $32.43 per hour. Both of these statistics are largely unchanged from May of this year.
Compared to a year ago, average hours have dropped slightly, while hourly earnings have risen about 2.5 percent.
Construction workers saw the longest weeks in June, while those working in leisure and hospitality had the shortest weeks, as well as the lowest rate of pay. Those employed in professional and business services earned the most.
The MDOL estimates for June were derived from two monthly surveys, the Current Population Survey and the Current Employment Statistics survey.
Although preliminary estimates from these surveys sometimes diverge, they often become more aligned over extended periods of time.
