If you listen to Gov. Paul LePage and his Republican allies, they’ll tell you Maine’s economy has turned a corner. Businesses are creating jobs, more people are working and fewer people are living below the poverty threshold. Fewer Mainers are dependent on government programs to get by. Sounds like Maine’s economy has recovered, right? But listen to […]
economy
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Economist says Maine needs to import young, productive workers
AUGUSTA — Any efforts to improve the economy in Maine will be thwarted by the state’s aging population unless the state can attract more young people, and the widely held goal of preventing young Mainers from moving out of state won’t come close to solving the problem. That was the keynote message from University of […]
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Posted inAdvertiser Democrat, Connections
Coupon book to support Casco Public Library
CASCO — Casco Public Library has been hard at work on their annual Coupon Book, producing a high-quality collection of savings to favorite local shops. From now through June 2014, the library is selling the coupon book for $10 each. The book will support the library and help stimulate the local economy. Shopping locally keeps […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine Military Authority to cut 140 jobs
LIMESTONE, Maine (AP) — A business that got its start overhauling military Humvees and trucks is preparing to slash its workforce by more than half because of reduced demand. Maine Military Authority said Friday that it intends to cut 140 jobs beginning in October because of the drawdown of troops and equipment in Iraq and […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
In the wake of bankruptcy, keeping Maine’s rail network intact ‘strategically critical’
Speculation is growing over what the long-term economic impacts will be to the bankruptcy of Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway. Experts interviewed by the Bangor Daily News, however, say businesses served by the railroad shouldn’t experience any immediate impacts as a result of the company’s bankruptcy. The railway filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday, […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
New jobs disproportionately low-pay or part-time
WASHINGTON (AP) — The 162,000 jobs the economy added in July were a disappointment. The quality of the jobs was even worse. A disproportionate number of the added jobs were part-time or low-paying — or both. Part-time work accounted for more than 65 percent of the positions employers added in July. Low-paying retailers, restaurants and […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Exclusive: Signs of declining economic security
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four out of five U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream. Survey data exclusive to The Associated Press points to an increasingly globalized U.S. economy, the widening gap between rich […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
What’s the plan for Maine’s economy?
As Maine struggled to recover from a major recession in the early 1990s, Gov. John McKernan and lawmakers formed the 19-member Maine Economic Growth Council and charged it with developing a long-term economic development strategy for the state. Council members toured the state and held focus groups to craft a statewide plan. But soon after, […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine attempts economic development without a plan
As Maine struggled to recover from a major recession in the early 1990s, Gov. John McKernan and lawmakers formed the 19-member Maine Economic Growth Council and charged it with developing a long-term economic development strategy for the state. Council members toured the state and held focus groups to craft a statewide plan. But soon after, […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Maine may be open, but where’s the business?
Our avowedly pro-business governor, Paul LePage, has attracted plenty of attention while battling with Democrats who control the Legislature, and sometimes with fellow Republicans, too. But governors standing for re-election are judged at least as much for their handling of the economy as for any specific legislation. And on this account, LePage supporters might want […]