Maine’s unemployment rate remained unchanged from March, extending a very tight labor market heading into the summer months.

Maine’s Department of Labor released April’s preliminary rate of 3.0 percent on Friday. That compares with 3.8 percent unemployment a year ago. The rate has been below 4 percent for the last seven months, and 15 of the last 18.

The U.S. preliminary unemployment rate of 4.4 percent in April was little changed from 4.5 percent in March and down from 5.0 percent one year ago, according to a release from the DOL. The New England unemployment rate averaged 3.9 percent.

April unemployment rate estimates for other states in the region were 2.8 percent in New Hampshire, 3.1 percent in Vermont, 3.9 percent in Massachusetts, 4.3 percent in Rhode Island, and 4.9 percent in Connecticut.

The employment-to-population ratio estimate of 62.1 percent remained above the U.S. average of 60.2 percent.


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