AUGUSTA — Maine’s unemployment rate fell slightly from December to January and is at its lowest point since 2001. The state’s Department of Labor says the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 4 percent to 3.8 percent. It was 4.9 percent a year ago. The Labor Department also says the number of unemployed people fell […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Local & State
Poliquin tells Chamber he’s trying to clean up the ‘mess’ called Congress
LEWISTON — Maine 2nd District U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin was lauded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during the monthly breakfast meeting of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. Poliquin, a Republican, was presented with the national business advocacy group’s Spirit of Business award for his work and voting record in Congress […]
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U.S. economy adds 211,000 jobs
Data curated by CareerTrends The Labor Department said Friday that employers added 211,000 jobs, led by big gains in construction and retail. And the government revised up its estimated job growth for September and October by a combined 35,000. The unemployment rate remained a low 5 percent for a second straight month. More Americans began […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine business to pay less for unemployment insurance
AUGUSTA — Maine businesses will pay less in unemployment insurance taxes next year because more of the state’s residents have returned to work. The Maine Department of Labor says the tax rate will drop to its lowest since 2009. It’s a cut of about one fifth in unemployment taxes per employee. Maine’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted […]
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Maine unemployment rate drops to 4.4 percent in September
HARTFORD, Conn. — Federal labor officials say the unemployment rate in New England held steady in September at 4.6 percent. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Tuesday the rate was unchanged from August. The national jobless rate is 5.1 percent. Three New England states had jobless rates in September significantly different from the U.S rate: […]
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Maine unemployment rate reaches 9 year low of 4.4 percent
PORTLAND — Maine’s unemployment rate has declined to its lowest point in more than nine years. State officials say the preliminary seasonally adjusted rate of 4.4 percent for September was down slightly from the 4.5 percent rate for August. It’s the lowest unemployment rate since April 2006. The number of unemployed people declined 8,800 over […]
Posted inLocal & State
In Lewiston, Paul LePage upbraids Legislature, vows to fight status quo
LEWISTON — During an hourlong town hall meeting Tuesday, Maine’s Republican Gov. Paul LePage continued his campaign against the state’s Legislature and its leaders, again promising to push the powers of the executive branch of government to achieve his policy goals. Before a largely friendly audience of about 100 people, LePage spoke at the Green […]
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Maine unemployment rate drops to 4.5 percent in August
AUGUSTA — State labor officials say Maine’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.5 percent in August. The state’s unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in July and 5.6 percent in Augusta 2014. The figures are seasonally adjusted. The number of employed also declined 8,200 over the year to 31,100. Maine’s employment to population ratio of 60.2 […]
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Paul LePage to promote Hire-A-Vet Campaign
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage and first lady Ann LePage are lending their support to a project that aims to hire 100 unemployed Maine veterans in 100 days. The LePages will host a 4 p.m. Wednesday reception at the governor’s mansion, the Blaine House, to showcase the Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign, according to an advisory issued Tuesday. […]
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Maine jobless rate falls slightly to 4.6 percent
AUGUSTA — Maine officials say the unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in July and was little changed from the month before. The Maine Department of Labor said Friday that the jobless rate last month was down from 4.7 percent in June. The July rate was down from 5.7 percent a year ago. The number of […]