Maine Unemployment Rate 6.9 Percent in July

August 19, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 19, 2013
Contact: Glenn Mills 207-621-5192

State Labor Commissioner Jeanne Paquette released July workforce estimates for Maine.

Seasonally Adjusted Statewide Data

Survey of Households - The preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate estimate for Maine was 6.9 percent in July, little changed from 6.8 percent in June and down from 7.3 percent one year ago. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 48,800 were unemployed, down 3,000 over the year. The U.S. unemployment rate estimate was 7.4 percent, down from 7.6 percent in June and 8.2 percent one year ago.

The share of the population that is employed was unchanged both in Maine and the nation. The U.S. unemployment rate declined due to thousands leaving the labor force; Maine?s unemployment rate increased due to several hundred entering the labor force. July was the 70th consecutive month Maine had a higher share of employed population than the nation ? 60.9 percent compared to 58.7 percent.

The New England unemployment rate was 7.2 percent; estimates for other states were 5.1 percent in New Hampshire, 4.6 percent in Vermont, 7.2 percent in Massachusetts, 8.9 percent in Rhode Island, and 8.1 percent in Connecticut.

NOTE: Preliminary unemployment rate estimates tend to move in a direction for several months and then the opposite direction for several months. This pattern often reflects an estimating methodology rather than improvement or deterioration in conditions. Annual revisions to these estimates that will be published in March 2014 are likely to smooth those directional trends. Survey of Employer Payrolls ? Preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate there were 602,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in July, up 1,600 from the revised June estimate and 4,800 from one year ago. The estimate of U.S. nonfarm payroll jobs was up 162,000.

NOTE: Nonfarm payroll jobs estimates tend to be volatile from month to month. Estimates for the period from October 2012 to September 2013 will be replaced with actual payroll data in March 2014. The revised job count is likely to show less volatility than monthly estimates.

Not Seasonally Adjusted Substate Data

The not seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate was 6.6 percent in July, down from 7.2 percent one year ago. Not seasonally adjusted rates ranged from 5.4 percent in Knox County to 9.3 percent in Washington County. Rates tended to be lower than the statewide average in southern and central counties and higher than average in northern and rim counties.

Among metro areas the unemployment rate was below the statewide average in Portland-South Portland-Biddeford (5.6 percent) and close to the statewide average in Bangor (6.9 percent) and Lewiston-Auburn (6.8 percent).

This release is available at http://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/news/release.html . Detailed labor force and unemployment data for the state, counties, and 31 labor market areas; nonfarm jobs data for the state and the three metropolitan areas; and much more is available at http://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/data.html .

August data will be released Friday, September 20.

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