Maine jobless rate rises to 4.8%

AUGUSTA – Maine’s unemployment rate rose from 4.6 percent in June to 4.8 percent in July, matching a national increase, state Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman said Friday.

Fortman said the preliminary, seasonally adjusted July unemployment rate for Maine compared with 4.9 percent a year ago.

“The trend of slow job growth continued in Maine as the number of seasonally adjusted, nonfarm wage and salary jobs rose by 1,200 between June and July to 614,900.

Small gains were recorded by most of the major industries. The only job loss was recorded by government,” Fortman said in a statement.

State Department of Labor officials said that between July 2005 and July 2006 the total number of nonfarm wage and salary jobs rose by 3,300.

But not-seasonally-adjusted, nonfarm wage and salary jobs in Maine fell by 2,200 between June and July to 624,700, officials said.

Labor officials said local government jobs dropped by 13,500 because of seasonal reductions of nonprofessional staff in local schools, while the losses were mostly offset by seasonal gains in leisure and hospitality services, retail trade, construction, and professional and business services.