Labor Market Focused Website Redesigned for Better User Experience

February 18, 2025

For Immediate Release: February 18, 2025

Labor Market Focused Website Redesigned for Better User Experience

AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Labor's Center for Workforce Research and Information - https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/home has launched an updated website for easier, more intuitive navigation and access to labor market information. The site is organized in a user-friendly way to help people determine what datasets best fit their needs, and how to easily find them. The new website can be found at https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/home .

"Labor market information is core to the work we do, helps inform decisions, and is crucial to understanding what is happening in Maine's economy," said Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman. "We encourage the public to explore our newly redesigned website, which has a wealth of information presented in a way thats easier to navigate."

The homepage features five major subject areas:

• Unemployment and Labor Force: https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-by-topic/unemployment-and-labor-force
• Jobs and Wages: https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-by-topic/jobs-and-wages
• Career Exploration: https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-resources/career-exploration
• Education and Training Outcomes: https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-by-topic/education-and-training-outcomes
• Job Outlook: https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-by-topic/job-outlook

Each of those includes sub-groupings with descriptions of what datasets in those subject areas represent.

The top navigation bar allows users to search for information by Topic - https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-by-topic or by Place - https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-by-place, for various Resources - https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-resources, or News and Publications - https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/news-and-publications . All information can be accessed either through the homepage groupings or the navigation bar. Recent Updates of data, presentations, and a Featured Research article appear in the upper corners of the homepage. Charts highlighting trends in some key workforce metrics appear at the bottom.

As an example of the multiple paths to finding the same information, unemployment rates for any county or town can be accessed through Unemployment & Labor Force subject area, through Data by Place, and through Data by Topic by following selection criteria.

• Data by Topic - https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-by-topic provides functionality to find data related to five major subject areas for the state and areas.
• Data by Place - https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-by-place provides functionality to find data related to the state, metro areas, counties, and towns and cities for major subject areas.
• Data Resources - https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data-resources provides tools for career exploration, locating potential employers, and employment and wage outcomes of educational program completers.

The site also features blog articles on a range of labor market related topics.

The Center for Workforce Research and Information provides labor market information for informed decision-making. Staff are available to provide guidance on how to find information, what data may best suit a given purpose or otherwise to consult with users on the larger context of labor market conditions and trends.