Maine’s major urban areas saw a slight increase in their unemployment rates from September to October.
That tracks with a slight increase in unemployment statewide, which rose from 2.6% in September to 2.9% in October, according to data provided by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Portland’s unemployment rate rose from 2.3% to 2.5% from September to October, the bureau said.
Bangor’s unemployment rate was 2.8% in October, compared to 2.6% the prior month. Meanwhile, Lewiston-Auburn saw an increase from 2.7% to 3.0%.
While those figures were up month over month, October unemployment rates were lower in 2024 than they were last year in Portland and Bangor. They remained the same in Lewiston-Auburn.
Unemployment rates rose in 272 of the country’s 389 metropolitan areas, fell in 98 of them, and were unchanged in 19, the bureau said in a statement.
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