Report: Maine making progress
The percent of Maine residents with a four-year degree increased from 19.2% in 1998 to 26.9% in 2006, pushing Maine up in the national rankings from 46th to 24th, according to a new report from the Maine State Planning Office.
The report is an update of a study completed in 2001 on Maine's plan to grow its knowledge-based economy. The idea was if Maine could increase the percentage of Maine adults with four-year college degrees to 30%, and raise the amount spent on R&D to $1,000 per employed worker, Maine's per capita income would rise to the national average or higher. While those goals haven't been met, Maine has made progress.
The amount of R&D spending per worker in the state has increased from $254 in 1998 to $587 in 2004, the most recent data available. Between 1998 and 2007, Maine's per capita income increased from $23,596 to $33,722, still well below the U.S. average of $38,611.
Maine State Economist Catherine Reilly says the state's goal of increasing Maine's per capita income to the national average is a moving target. "The takeaway is we're making progress, but in this economy we can't rest on our laurels," Reilly told Mainebiz this morning. "Other states are making big investments, too."
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments