Maine's unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point in December, to 3.8%.
The state lost 2,300 jobs from November to December, but that followed a large upward revision to the November statistics, according to the Maine Department of Labor.
Among Maine's counties, the lowest unemployment rate in December was 2.8% in Sagadahoc County; the highest jobless rate, 5.2%, was in Somerset County.
Average wages in the private sector were up by 5.5% last month, over December of 2021. It meant Maine workers lost a little buying power since the Consumer Price Index rose 6.5% in that same time period.