Maine’s three metropolitan areas each saw the number of jobless people decline in February compared with the previous year, following a national trend that shows the economy is recovering toward pre-pandemic levels despite labor shortages, according to federal data released on Wednesday.
Bangor, Lewiston-Auburn and Portland-South Portland each had four percent or fewer of the total labor force unemployed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which releases non-seasonally adjusted numbers. None were that low in February 2021. The unemployment numbers reflect the same declining national trend in all but one of the 388 U.S. metropolitan areas.
Greater Bangor had 70,465 people in its civilian labor force in February, up 1.5 percent from January and up 2.6 percent since February 2021. Some 2,608 were unemployed in February, or about 3.7 percent of the workforce.
Lewiston-Auburn had 54,753 civilian workers in February, up less than 1 percent from January and from February 2021. Some 2,179 people were unemployed in February, or 4 percent of the workforce compared with 5.5 percent a year ago compared with 4.9 percent one year ago.
Portland-South Portland had 202,967 civilian workers in February, also up less than 1 percent compared with January and one year ago. Some 6.790 people were unemployed in February, or 3.3 percent of the area’s workforce compared with 4.9 percent a year ago.
Maine had 676,099 civilian workers in February, up less than 1 percent since January and the prior year. About 28,241 people were unemployed in February, or 4.2 percent of the state’s workforce compared with 5.5 percent one year ago.
Maine’s unemployment rate in January and February was 4 percent, just below the 4.1 percent nationally in February, which in turn was down from 6.6 percent a year ago. Unemployment rates in Maine ranged from a low of 3 percent in Cumberland County to a high of 7.3 percent in Washington County, according to the Maine Department of Labor.