Maine's unemployment rises to 7.6%
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate estimate for Maine was 7.6% in July, up slightly from 7.5% in June and unchanged from one year ago.
The number of unemployed was estimated at 53,800, up 400 over the year. The U.S. unemployment rate estimate was 8.3%, little changed from 8.2% in June and down from 9.1% one year ago.
The unemployment rate rise in 2012 reflects a correction from unusually low estimates in the latter part of 2011 (that are likely to be revised upward), not a deterioration in workforce conditions, according to a press release issued by the Maine Department of Labor Maine on Friday. The unemployment rate for New England was 7.1%; rates in other states were 5.4% in New Hampshire, 5.0% in Vermont, 6.1% in Massachusetts, 10.8% in Rhode Island and 8.5% in Connecticut.
There were 595,500 nonfarm payroll jobs in Maine in July, up 1,800 from the revised June estimate. Over the last year declining state and local government jobs have partly offset private sector gains. Much of the private sector job growth was in retail trade, leisure and hospitality, health care, and professional and business services. U.S. nonfarm payroll jobs were up 163,000 in July.
The not seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate was 7.4% in July, up from 7.3% one year ago. Not seasonally-adjusted rates ranged from 5.9% in Lincoln County to 10.1% in Washington County. Rates tended to be lower than the statewide average in southern and coastal counties and higher than average among northern and rim counties.
Among metro areas, the unemployment rate was below the statewide average in Portland-South Portland-Biddeford (6.1%) and higher than the statewide average in Bangor (8.2%) and Lewiston-Auburn (7.9%).
August data is scheduled for release September 21.
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