About 2,600 people filed new benefit claims or reopened previous claims last week, the Maine Department of Labor reported Thursday.
maine economy
Crisis far from over for Maine women suffering prolonged unemployment
The state lost more than 48,000 jobs from February to December of last year, and women held 57% of those jobs. The crisis has drawn attention to systemic inequities for Maine’s working women.
Maine’s jobless rate edged up slightly in January, yet it’s considered a positive sign
The increase is attributed to more participation in the labor market by Maine residents.
Pandemic-era jobless aid payments approach $2 billion in Maine
The amount the state has paid out in jobless benefits since the pandemic started is almost as much as it paid out in the previous 15 years combined.
Maine stands to get billions in relief from Biden’s American Rescue Plan
Funds for a wide variety of groups, interests and needs are included in the $1.9 trillion package that Congress is expected to approve Wednesday.
Our View: Maine has been tested in year of COVID
Twelve months since the state’s first case, we are among the safest in the country – with much work left to do.
Commentary: Working Maine families need lifeline to overcome impacts of COVID
Our senators must vote ‘yes’ on the upcoming American Rescue Plan so that Mainers can pay their bills, put food on the table and stay in their homes.
State opposes bill that would extend jobless benefits to Maine’s self-employed workers
The Maine Department of Labor says federal laws would have to change before it could set up a system to benefit workers who are not covered by state unemployment insurance.
New unemployment claims follow seasonal decline in Maine
Last week’s decrease in initial jobless claims fits a typical late-winter trend in which hiring in the state starts to increase.
Commentary: Science, tech work a boon for Mainers
By refocusing resources, creating new learning paths and integrating educational systems with private-sector partners, Maine can produce a skilled, resilient STEM workforce.