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News Release

Released: Tuesday, June 25 at 10 a.m.

Contact: Glenn Mills, 207-530-2079

The Employment Situation in Maine – May 2024

The pattern of little change in labor market conditions continued in May. The number of nonfarm jobs has been relatively stable in the first half of 2024 and unemployment remains well below long-term averages.

Download data as a spreadsheet: Nonfarm Payroll Job Estimates | LAUS Seasonally Adjusted Data

These estimates are derived from two monthly surveys. The Current Population Survey collects information from households on labor force status, including labor force participation, employment, and unemployment. The Current Employment Statistics survey collects information from nonfarm employers by industry on the number of wage and salary jobs, hours worked, and wages paid to individuals on their payrolls. Both surveys are administered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Preliminary estimates from the two surveys sometimes diverge in direction or magnitude of change. Over extended periods they tend to be more aligned.

Statewide Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force Estimates

The preliminary 3.0 percent unemployment rate was little changed from 3.1 percent for April. The three-month average for the period through May decreased 0.3 points from the previous three months through February.

Unemployment has been below four percent for 30 months – the second longest such period – and below the U.S. average for all but two months for more than 16 years. Unemployment continued to be below the long-term average of 5.5 percent for the state since January 1976, when the current methodology was adopted.

should be considered in the context of whether they are below, near, or above historical or U.S. averages, rather than if they are up or down a few tenths of a point from some other month. The household survey sample they are derived from is large enough for direct estimates for the nation. For states it is much smaller and statistical modeling is used to prevent large single-month changes that may overstate the magnitude or the direction of changes in labor market conditions.

One result of this is that preliminary unemployment rates for Maine tend to follow an undulating pattern, moving in one direction for several months and then the other through the course of a year. Revisions, published annually in March, have consistently smoothed these patterns. Upward or downward changes in preliminary unemployment or labor force participation rates often are not as indicative of improvement or deterioration in conditions as may appear. Though rates for many months will change when revised, unemployment rates for the early part of 2024 certainly will remain well below the long-term average.

Over the Month Change in Labor Force (Seasonally Adjusted)
Metric Apr May Change
Labor Force Participation Rate 59.4% 59.5% 0.1%
Employment to Population Ratio 57.6% 57.7% 0.1%
Unemployment Rate 3.1% 3.0% -0.1%
Three-Month Average Labor Force (Seasonally Adjusted)
Metric Dec to Feb Mar to May Change
Labor Force Participation Rate 59.3% 59.4% 0.1%
Employment to Population Ratio 57.3% 57.6% 0.3%
Unemployment Rate 3.4% 3.1% -0.3%

Unemployment averaged 3.4 percent for New England and 4.0 percent for the U.S. in May.

Statewide Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Jobs Estimates

The preliminary estimate of 656,600 nonfarm wage and salary jobs was nearly unchanged in the month, continuing the pattern of the first half of 2024. Jobs increased 9,300 from a year ago, an average of 800 per month. More than half of the over the year gain was in healthcare and social assistance, following a slower than average recovery in that sector the first two years after the pandemic’s onset. Healthcare and social assistance (17 percent), retail trade (13 percent), professional and business services (12 percent), and leisure and hospitality (11 percent) comprised just over half of jobs in the state.

The payroll survey of employers is much larger than the household survey. Preliminary nonfarm jobs estimates for Maine tend to provide a better indication of the magnitude and direction of change than labor force and unemployment estimates. Annual revisions to jobs data tend to be relatively small.

Industry Jobs (in thousands) Change in Jobs
2023 2024 Share of Jobs Over the Month Over the Year
May Apr May May 23 May 24 Net Percent Monthly Average Net Percent
Total Nonfarm 647.3 656.5 656.6 100% 100% 0.1 0.0% 0.8 9.3 1.4%
Total Private 547.5 554.9 555.0 84.6% 84.5% 0.1 0.0% 0.6 7.5 1.4%
Healthcare & Social Assistance 106.2 111.8 112.6 16.4% 17.1% 0.8 0.7% 0.5 6.4 6.0%
Retail Trade 81.8 82.4 82.9 12.6% 12.6% 0.5 0.6% 0.1 1.1 1.3%
Professional & Business Services 76.1 76.4 75.9 11.8% 11.6% -0.5 -0.7% 0.0 -0.2 -0.3%
Leisure & Hospitality 68.4 69.0 69.8 10.6% 10.6% 0.8 1.2% 0.1 1.4 2.0%
Manufacturing 54.2 53.9 53.9 8.4% 8.2% 0.0 0.0% 0.0 -0.3 -0.6%
Financial Activities 33.7 33.4 33.4 5.2% 5.1% 0.0 0.0% 0.0 -0.3 -0.9%
Construction 33.6 33.8 33.1 5.2% 5.0% -0.7 -2.1% 0.0 -0.5 -1.5%
Educational Services 22.7 23.1 22.5 3.5% 3.4% -0.6 -2.6% 0.0 -0.2 -0.9%
Other Services 22.1 21.7 21.6 3.4% 3.3% -0.1 -0.5% 0.0 -0.5 -2.3%
Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities 19.0 19.9 20.0 2.9% 3.0% 0.1 0.5% 0.1 1.0 5.3%
Wholesale Trade 19.5 19.3 19.4 3.0% 3.0% 0.1 0.5% 0.0 -0.1 -0.5%
Information 8.2 8.2 8.0 1.3% 1.2% -0.2 -2.4% 0.0 -0.2 -2.4%
Mining & Logging 2.0 2.0 1.9 0.3% 0.3% -0.1 -5.0% 0.0 -0.1 -5.0%
Government 99.8 101.6 101.6 15.4% 15.5% 0.0 0.0% 0.2 1.8 1.8%
Local 60.2 61.2 61.3 9.3% 9.3% 0.1 0.2% 0.1 1.1 1.8%
State 22.7 23.2 23.1 3.5% 3.5% -0.1 -0.4% 0.0 0.4 1.8%
Federal 16.9 17.2 17.2 2.6% 2.6% 0.0 0.0% 0.0 0.3 1.8%
Industries in decending order by current month jobs.

Not Seasonally Adjusted County and Metro Labor Force Estimates

On a not seasonally adjusted basis the statewide unemployment rate was 2.7 percent. Rates were at least 0.3 percentage points higher than that in six counties, at least 0.3 points lower than that in three, and close to the average in seven. The lowest rates were in southern and central areas and the highest were in the north.

Among the three metro areas of the state, unemployment was below the statewide average in Portland-S. Portland and close to the average in Bangor and Lewiston-Auburn.

(Labor force estimates for substate areas, including unemployment rates, are not seasonally adjusted. Because of this, estimates for a certain month should be compared to the same month in other years and should not be compared to other months in the same or other years.)

May Labor Force Estimates (not seasonally-adjusted)
Area Employed Unemployed Unemployment Rate
2023 2024 2023 2024 2023 2024
Maine 662,850 675,880 17,760 18,650 2.6% 2.7%
U.S. (in thousands) 161,000 161,340 5,700 6,240 3.4% 3.7%
Counties
Androscoggin 52,250 52,520 1,430 1,490 2.7% 2.8%
Aroostook 27,220 27,760 1,190 1,170 4.2% 4.0%
Cumberland 160,960 163,880 3,740 3,900 2.3% 2.3%
Franklin 12,710 12,880 500 510 3.8% 3.8%
Hancock 27,800 28,470 740 750 2.6% 2.6%
Kennebec 60,220 61,070 1,440 1,590 2.3% 2.5%
Knox 19,360 19,600 490 520 2.4% 2.6%
Lincoln 16,290 16,760 420 420 2.5% 2.5%
Oxford 24,690 25,490 770 840 3.0% 3.2%
Penobscot 71,550 73,260 1,990 2,190 2.7% 2.9%
Piscataquis 6,750 6,850 300 310 4.3% 4.3%
Sagadahoc 18,790 19,210 410 420 2.1% 2.1%
Somerset 21,070 21,840 830 750 3.8% 3.3%
Waldo 19,580 20,140 520 550 2.6% 2.6%
Washington 12,830 13,320 480 490 3.6% 3.5%
York 110,800 112,830 2,510 2,750 2.2% 2.4%
Metropolitian Areas
Bangor 66,320 67,870 1,630 1,840 2.4% 2.6%
Lewiston-Auburn 52,760 52,980 1,430 1,490 2.6% 2.7%
Portland-S Portland 203,760 207,320 4,670 4,930 2.2% 2.3%

Not Seasonally Adjusted Statewide and Metro Area Hours and Earnings Estimates

The private sector workweek averaged 33.4 hours and earnings averaged $31.42 per hour in May. Average hours decreased 0.1 and hourly earnings increased 4.6 percent from a year ago. Earnings increases were led by a 7.5 percent gain in manufacturing. The workweek was longest in construction and shortest in leisure and hospitality. Earnings were highest in professional and business services and lowest in leisure and hospitality.

Hourly earnings were higher than the statewide average in the Portland-S. Portland metro and slightly lower in the Bangor and Lewiston-Auburn metros.

May Private Sector Average Hours and Earnings Estimates (not seasonally-adjusted)
Sector/Area Weekly Hours Hourly Earnings
2023 2024 Change 2023 2024 % Change
Maine 33.5 33.4 -0.1 $30.03 $31.42 4.6%
United States 34.2 34.2 0.0 $33.46 $34.81 4.0%
Sectors Statewide
Construction 40.1 40.2 0.1 $30.62 $31.48 2.8%
Manufacturing 39.3 38.1 -1.2 $29.09 $31.28 7.5%
Trade, Transportation & Utilities 32.4 32.6 0.2 $25.56 $26.18 2.4%
Professional & Business Services 35.0 34.7 -0.3 $34.82 $36.86 5.9%
Education & Health Services 33.3 33.0 -0.3 $32.89 $34.10 3.7%
Leisure & Hospitality 26.4 26.3 -0.1 $22.87 $23.03 0.7%
Metropolitian Areas, Private Sector
Bangor 34.3 35.4 1.1 $28.12 $30.20 7.4%
Lewiston-Auburn 34.4 34.1 -0.3 $28.22 $29.40 4.2%
Portland-S Portland 33.1 32.7 -0.4 $32.71 $34.28 4.8%

May workforce estimates will be published Friday, July 19 at 10 a.m. The data release schedule is here.
Nonfarm jobs data is available here.
Unemployment and labor force data is available here.

Notes:
  1. Preliminary seasonally-adjusted labor force estimates, including rates (labor force participation, employment, and unemployment rates), and levels (labor force, employed, and unemployed), as well as nonfarm wage and salary job estimates are inexact. Annual revisions (published in March each year) add accuracy. A comparison of 2022 and 2023 revised and previously published estimates is available in this blog.
  2. The 90 percent confidence interval for the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May was between 2.2 and 3.7 percent.
  3. Nonfarm wage and salary jobs from the payroll survey provide a better indication of changes in employment than resident employment from the household survey. The payroll survey is larger and has smaller margins of error.
  4. Nonfarm payroll jobs estimates tend to be variable from month to month because the representativeness of reporting employers can differ. Seasonal adjustment is imperfect because weather, the beginning and ending of school semesters, and other events do not always occur with the same timing relative to the pay period that includes the 12th day of the month, which is the survey reference period. This sometimes exacerbates monthly changes in jobs estimates. Users should look to the trend over multiple months rather than the change from one specific month to another. Jobs estimates for the period from April 2023 to September 2024 will be replaced with payroll data in March 2024. Those benchmark revisions usually show less monthly variability than previously published estimates.