Moving Maine from Poverty to Prosperity

  • Expanded access to affordable natural gas for Maine people and key Maine employers from the Woodland Mill in Washington County to the Sappi Mill in Somerset County.
  • Investments by the Maine Department of Transportation in the International Marine Terminal in Portland attracted Eimskip, the Icelandic cargo shipping company.
  • Increased the average number of miles of highway rehabilitation per year by 187%, while lowering average unit cost by 15%. 
  • Since taking office, 24,000 private sector jobs have been created in Maine; the unemployment rate is down from 8.1% to 3.4%, government jobs have dropped to the level they were at in 1999; and unemployment claims have fallen to a 31-year low.
  • Maine's unemployment rate is the lowest in more than 42 years at just 2.9%. Both the rate and number of unemployed are the lowest recorded since at least 1976 while a record-high number of private sector jobs and workers are earning more.
  • Established the first State of Maine EB-5 regional center to help attract new foreign direct investment for economic development projects throughout Maine.
  • Maine's tourism marketing program, administered within the Department of Economic & Community Development, has resulted in an increase in visitation in every season and throughout the state.  Since 2012, visitation has increased by 27% to almost 36 million visitors.
  • Due to the increase in tourism to the State, taxable lodging sales have increased by almost 32% since 2012.
  • Recovered over $40 million in unemployment fraud, overpayments and related interest from 2013-2017
  • As of December 2017, Unemployment has been less than 4.0% for 25 consecutive months, eclipsing the previous record of 22 months
  • Increased the number of first time homebuyers while reducing the number of people who are homeless.
  • Record-high wages averaging $43,500 per job, with $26.4 billion in total setting another record (2016–2017).
  • Average wages have increased at the fastest rate in nearly two decades reflecting competitive hiring and staff retention.
  • Due to rising wages and state marketing strategies net in-migration to the state accelerated in 2016 and 2017.