Maine’s jobless rate unchanged at 4.7%

AUGUSTA – Maine’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.7 percent between August and September, state Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman said Friday.

Fortman said the preliminary September unemployment rate, which was adjusted to reflect seasonal fluctuations in the labor market, was 0.3 percentage points lower than the 5 percent rate a year earlier.

There was little change in labor market conditions between August and September, Fortman said.

Between August and September, the total number of seasonally adjusted nonfarm wage and salary jobs declined by 400 to 613,800. But between September 2005 and September 2006, the number of nonfarm wage and salary jobs rose by 2,200, Fortman said.

Job gains were recorded in professional and business services, health care and social assistance, local government, construction, and leisure and hospitality services. Job losses were primarily in manufacturing.