AUGUSTA – The state Labor Department says Maine’s unemployment rate in July was 5.4 percent, one-tenth of a percentage point higher than June’s figure.

Commissioner Laura Fortman said Friday the preliminary figure is lower than the national rate for July, 5.7 percent.

But Fortman said labor market trends in Maine continue to mirror national trends. She said a weak job market has resulted in slowly rising unemployment.

Other New England states reporting seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July included New Hampshire, 3.9 percent; Vermont, 4.8 percent; Massachusetts, 5.1 percent; Connecticut, 5.8 percent; and Rhode Island, 7.7 percent.