There’s good news in the employment numbers for Maine released Monday. Finally, after three years, the state has regained all the jobs lost during the economic downturn of 2001.

Of course, the good news is tempered. Normally, it only takes a year to repair the damage done by a relatively short recession. It took three times that long this time, even though massive tax cuts and low interest rates were supercharging the economy. And, even though the state has replaced the almost 7,000 jobs lost since peak employment recorded in June 2001, job creation has not kept up with population growth.

Even with strong gains in May and June of this year, the state’s unemployment level remains about 4.1 percent. In the Lewiston-Auburn area, unemployment inched up in June, from 3.4 percent to 3.7 percent, but remains significantly better than the national rate of 5.6 percent. The unemployment rate in Norway-Paris was 5.8 percent; Farmington, 6.1 percent; and Rumford, 7.8 percent.

The country is still about a million jobs short of replacing the 2.4 million jobs lost in 2001.

While jobs finally are returning, wages for hourly workers are flat – and actually falling when inflation is considered. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pay for non-management workers fell 1.1 percent in June. And higher paying manufacturing jobs, which often include benefits, are being replaced with lower paying service sector jobs.

Pressure is building on lower and middle income families since salaries aren’t keeping pace with the cost of living.

Corporate profits, however, have recovered, and the country’s wealthiest have seen their incomes grow.

The dichotomy threatens continued economic growth and fosters pessimism for many workers who watch as their paychecks run out before all their bills are paid.

The jobs picture still needs improvement before workers can expect to see their wages improve.

Odd bedfellows

If Ralph Nader wants to run for president, he’s entitled.

But if the Republican Party is collecting signatures and working to get Nader on the ballot in states like Michigan – where Nader had dropped his own efforts in hopes of representing the Reform Party – then the integrity of the process is threatened.

The Michigan Republican Party, in an effort that organizers say was not coordinated with Nader, collected about 43,000 signatures. Nader needed about 30,000 to qualify as an independent.

Two right-leaning groups also collected signatures for Nader in Oregon, and he has received assistance in other states from people who are clearly opposed to Nader’s brand of consumer-populism.

Nader has decided to run for president as an independent. He has every right to be on the ballot if he can meet state requirements.

But the goodwill of the Michigan Republican Party has nothing to do with broadening the political debate or with protecting the rights of minor party or independent candidates. The GOP hopes that Nader can draw votes away from Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

In 2000, Nader certainly took votes away from Democrat Al Gore; Republicans would love a repeat.

Ralph Nader has been a champion of liberals since his days fighting exploding cars and corporate malfeasance. Now, he’s a champion for conservatives who hope he can derail Kerry in a few key states.

The whole thing feels sleazy.