Jobs & Wages

Employment, labor-force participation, unemployment, the shape of Maine's job base, and what its occupations pay — from the state Center for Workforce Research and Information and federal labor data.

3.2%

unemployment, August 2026

Labor market

Unemployment rate

Maine vs. the U.S., seasonally adjusted, monthly since 1976

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Unemployment rate — data table
Date	Unemployment rate	Participation rate	Civilian labor force	Us unemployment	Us participation
2024-09-01	3.1	60.2	709,455	4.1	62.7
2024-10-01	3.2	60.2	709,513	4.1	62.5
2024-11-01	3.2	60.1	709,331	4.2	62.4
2024-12-01	3.3	60.1	709,097	4.1	62.5
2025-01-01	3.3	60	708,929	4	62.6
2025-02-01	3.3	60	708,807	4.2	62.5
2025-03-01	3.3	60	708,694	4.2	62.5
2025-04-01	3.3	59.9	708,568	4.2	62.6
2025-05-01	3.3	59.9	708,353	4.3	62.4
2025-06-01	3.3	59.8	708,146	4.1	62.3
2025-07-01	3.3	59.8	708,211	4.3	62.2
2025-08-01	3.3	59.8	708,528	4.3	62.3
2025-09-01	3.3	59.8	709,123	4.4	62.5
2025-10-01
2025-11-01	3.3	59.8	710,100	4.5	62.5
2025-12-01	3.3	59.8	710,128	4.4	62.4
2026-01-01	3.3	59.7	709,117	4.3	62.1
2026-02-01	3.2	59.6	708,317	4.4	62
2026-03-01	3.2	59.5	706,787	4.3	61.9
2026-04-01	3.1	59.4	705,819	4.3	61.8
2026-05-01	3.1	59.2	704,135	4.3	61.8
2026-06-01	3.1	59	702,039	4.2	61.5
2026-07-01	3.1	58.8	699,789	4.1	61.4
2026-08-01	3.2	58.6	697,441	4.1	61.6

Most recent 24 of 608 rows shown.

Source: Maine Dept. of Labor, CWRI · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Labor force participation

Maine vs. the U.S. — share working or looking for work

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Labor force participation — data table
Date	Unemployment rate	Participation rate	Civilian labor force	Us unemployment	Us participation
2024-09-01	3.1	60.2	709,455	4.1	62.7
2024-10-01	3.2	60.2	709,513	4.1	62.5
2024-11-01	3.2	60.1	709,331	4.2	62.4
2024-12-01	3.3	60.1	709,097	4.1	62.5
2025-01-01	3.3	60	708,929	4	62.6
2025-02-01	3.3	60	708,807	4.2	62.5
2025-03-01	3.3	60	708,694	4.2	62.5
2025-04-01	3.3	59.9	708,568	4.2	62.6
2025-05-01	3.3	59.9	708,353	4.3	62.4
2025-06-01	3.3	59.8	708,146	4.1	62.3
2025-07-01	3.3	59.8	708,211	4.3	62.2
2025-08-01	3.3	59.8	708,528	4.3	62.3
2025-09-01	3.3	59.8	709,123	4.4	62.5
2025-10-01
2025-11-01	3.3	59.8	710,100	4.5	62.5
2025-12-01	3.3	59.8	710,128	4.4	62.4
2026-01-01	3.3	59.7	709,117	4.3	62.1
2026-02-01	3.2	59.6	708,317	4.4	62
2026-03-01	3.2	59.5	706,787	4.3	61.9
2026-04-01	3.1	59.4	705,819	4.3	61.8
2026-05-01	3.1	59.2	704,135	4.3	61.8
2026-06-01	3.1	59	702,039	4.2	61.5
2026-07-01	3.1	58.8	699,789	4.1	61.4
2026-08-01	3.2	58.6	697,441	4.1	61.6

Most recent 24 of 608 rows shown.

Source: Maine Dept. of Labor, CWRI · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Initial unemployment claims

Weekly new claims with a 4-week average — a faster stress signal than the jobless rate

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Initial unemployment claims — data table
Date	Claims	Ma
2026-04-18	548	576
2026-04-25	599	586
2026-05-02	548	575
2026-05-09	492	547
2026-05-16	480	530
2026-05-23	394	479
2026-05-30	380	437
2026-06-06	490	436
2026-06-13	425	422
2026-06-20	546	460
2026-06-27	679	535
2026-07-04	575	556
2026-07-11	456	564
2026-07-18	361	518
2026-07-25	410	451
2026-08-01	351	395
2026-08-08	432	389
2026-08-15	422	404
2026-08-22	393	400
2026-08-29	339	397
2026-09-05	430	396
2026-09-12	339	375
2026-09-19	411	380
2026-09-26	344	381

Most recent 24 of 456 rows shown.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor via FRED

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Civilian labor force

People working or looking for work, statewide

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Civilian labor force — data table
Date	Unemployment rate	Participation rate	Civilian labor force	Us unemployment	Us participation
2024-09-01	3.1	60.2	709,455	4.1	62.7
2024-10-01	3.2	60.2	709,513	4.1	62.5
2024-11-01	3.2	60.1	709,331	4.2	62.4
2024-12-01	3.3	60.1	709,097	4.1	62.5
2025-01-01	3.3	60	708,929	4	62.6
2025-02-01	3.3	60	708,807	4.2	62.5
2025-03-01	3.3	60	708,694	4.2	62.5
2025-04-01	3.3	59.9	708,568	4.2	62.6
2025-05-01	3.3	59.9	708,353	4.3	62.4
2025-06-01	3.3	59.8	708,146	4.1	62.3
2025-07-01	3.3	59.8	708,211	4.3	62.2
2025-08-01	3.3	59.8	708,528	4.3	62.3
2025-09-01	3.3	59.8	709,123	4.4	62.5
2025-10-01
2025-11-01	3.3	59.8	710,100	4.5	62.5
2025-12-01	3.3	59.8	710,128	4.4	62.4
2026-01-01	3.3	59.7	709,117	4.3	62.1
2026-02-01	3.2	59.6	708,317	4.4	62
2026-03-01	3.2	59.5	706,787	4.3	61.9
2026-04-01	3.1	59.4	705,819	4.3	61.8
2026-05-01	3.1	59.2	704,135	4.3	61.8
2026-06-01	3.1	59	702,039	4.2	61.5
2026-07-01	3.1	58.8	699,789	4.1	61.4
2026-08-01	3.2	58.6	697,441	4.1	61.6

Most recent 24 of 608 rows shown.

Source: Maine Dept. of Labor, CWRI

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Unemployment by county

Not seasonally adjusted, August 2026

Hover a county for its unemployment rate.

2.6%4.8%no data

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Unemployment by county — data table
Label	Value
Piscataquis	4.8
Washington	4.4
Aroostook	4.1
Somerset	4.1
Franklin	3.8
Oxford	3.8
Penobscot	3.4
Waldo	3.4
Androscoggin	3.2
Kennebec	3.2
Lincoln	3.1
Knox	3
Hancock	2.8
York	2.8
Sagadahoc	2.7
Cumberland	2.6

Source: Maine Dept. of Labor, CWRI

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Jobs by industry

Jobs by industry over time

Nonfarm payroll employment by sector, seasonally adjusted, since 2010

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Jobs by industry over time — data table
Date	Education & Health	Government	Trade, Transp. & Utilities	Leisure & Hospitality	Professional & Business	Manufacturing	Construction	Financial Activities	Other
2024-09-01	135,100	102,000	120,200	70,400	80,600	51,900	35,600	33,200	33,300
2024-10-01	135,300	102,300	120,300	70,800	80,300	51,700	35,600	33,000	33,200
2024-11-01	135,900	102,500	120,800	70,500	79,700	51,700	35,700	33,000	33,200
2024-12-01	136,300	102,900	121,700	70,300	79,600	51,500	35,800	33,000	33,100
2025-01-01	136,800	103,500	117,900	70,600	78,600	51,500	35,900	33,100	33,100
2025-02-01	136,700	102,900	116,400	69,400	78,500	51,400	36,200	32,900	33,000
2025-03-01	136,700	102,900	116,400	70,300	78,200	51,300	36,100	33,000	33,100
2025-04-01	137,600	103,300	116,600	69,300	78,500	51,300	35,500	32,900	32,700
2025-05-01	137,900	103,000	118,500	71,300	78,400	51,400	35,600	33,000	33,000
2025-06-01	137,800	103,400	120,400	70,300	78,000	51,300	35,500	32,900	32,800
2025-07-01	137,900	103,100	121,700	70,600	78,200	51,300	35,600	32,900	32,900
2025-08-01	137,900	103,000	121,800	70,200	77,900	51,100	35,600	32,900	32,900
2025-09-01	138,200	102,800	119,200	71,200	77,600	51,100	35,500	32,800	32,900
2025-10-01	136,900	101,600	119,200	70,700	77,000	51,200	35,600	33,100	32,800
2025-11-01	138,200	101,900	119,400	71,700	77,200	51,200	35,800	33,100	32,800
2025-12-01	137,300	102,100	120,600	72,000	76,900	51,300	36,000	33,200	32,300
2026-01-01	138,100	102,300	117,100	71,700	76,800	51,400	36,500	33,300	32,300
2026-02-01	137,600	102,900	115,900	72,000	76,400	51,600	36,700	33,200	32,400
2026-03-01	138,000	103,000	115,200	72,300	76,000	51,500	36,100	33,100	32,600
2026-04-01	139,400	102,900	116,000	71,300	77,000	51,200	35,300	33,200	32,600
2026-05-01	138,400	103,200	117,900	70,500	77,000	51,500	35,100	33,200	32,800
2026-06-01	138,800	102,900	120,200	71,000	77,000	51,200	34,800	33,100	32,600
2026-07-01	138,600	102,500	121,000	71,200	77,100	51,100	34,900	33,100	32,600
2026-08-01	138,700	102,500	120,600	70,700	77,400	51,100	35,200	33,400	32,600

Most recent 24 of 200 rows shown.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED

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Industry job change since 2020

Percent change in payroll jobs vs. January 2020, by sector

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Industry job change since 2020 — data table
Label	Value
Construction	15
Professional & Business	12.2
Education & Health	6.9
Trade, Transp. & Utilities	3.5
Other Services	3.1
Government	0.9
Leisure & Hospitality	0.7
Financial Activities	0
Information	-2.5
Manufacturing	-4.7
Mining & Logging	-14.3

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED

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Wages

Average weekly wage by industry

Private-sector average weekly wage, 2024

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Average weekly wage by industry — data table
Label	Value
Utilities	2,347
Management of Companies	2,092
Finance & Insurance	2,042
Professional & Technical	2,018
Wholesale Trade	1,730
Mining & Extraction	1,432
Construction	1,382
Manufacturing	1,355
Health Care & Social Assist.	1,238
Real Estate	1,134
Educational Services	1,128
Transportation & Warehousing	1,102
Administrative & Waste	1,033
Other Services	938
Agriculture & Forestry	938
Retail Trade	764
Arts & Recreation	709
Accommodation & Food	619
Unclassified	0
Information	0

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW

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Wage growth over time

Statewide average weekly wage, all industries, by year

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Wage growth over time — data table
Year	Wage
2,014	778
2,015	804
2,016	819
2,017	844
2,018	872
2,019	907
2,020	999
2,021	1,051
2,022	1,118
2,023	1,160
2,024	1,216

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW

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Occupations

Pay vs. how common a job is

Each dot is an occupation — how many Mainers hold it (log scale) versus its median annual wage, 2024. Highlighted points mark the frontier: none is both more common and better paid. Hover any dot for the occupation.

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Pay vs. how common a job is — data table
X	Y	Label	Highlight
40	89,860	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other	false
40	53,190	Media and Communication Workers, All Other	false
40	48,660	Desktop Publishers	false
40	67,710	Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers	false
40	37,520	Woodworkers, All Other	false
40	47,500	Agricultural Equipment Operators	false
40	38,950	Slaughterers and Meat Packers	false
40	45,720	Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other	false
40	84,650	Radiation Therapists	false
40	58,320	Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders	false
40	61,720	Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary	false
40	87,300	Exercise Physiologists	false
40	102,330	Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary	false
40	143,090	Compensation and Benefits Managers	false
30	68,710	Forensic Science Technicians	false
30	58,990	Wind Turbine Service Technicians	false
30	35,140	Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	false
30	61,520	Meter Readers, Utilities	false
30	39,560	Forest and Conservation Technicians	false
30	128,910	Law Teachers, Postsecondary	false
30	42,780	Dietetic Technicians	false
30	43,680	Upholsterers	false
30	48,670	Locksmiths and Safe Repairers	false
30	68,540	Judicial Law Clerks	false

Most recent 24 of 607 rows shown.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

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Highest-paying occupations

By median annual wage, 2024

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Highest-paying occupations — data table
Label	Value
Physicians & surgeons (10 specialties)	239,200
Nurse Anesthetists	229,900
Pediatricians, General	224,200
Family Medicine Physicians	220,590
Dentists, General	208,860
Podiatrists	161,800
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers	158,190
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates	156,770
Database Architects	154,790
Compensation and Benefits Managers	143,090
Architectural and Engineering Managers	140,430
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers	138,520

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

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Most common occupations

By number of people employed, 2024

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Most common occupations — data table
Label	Value
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	18,080
Retail Salespersons	17,210
Fast Food and Counter Workers	16,520
Registered Nurses	16,280
Cashiers	15,530
General and Operations Managers	15,100
Stockers and Order Fillers	11,790
Office Clerks, General	11,670
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	10,180
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	9,800
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	9,000
Nursing Assistants	8,590

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

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Wages by industry are average weekly wages from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (annual averages). Occupation pay is the median annual wage from the federal Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics program; a handful of the highest-paid occupations are reported only as “at or above $239,200.”