Maine is still falling short in attracting new people to its workforce.
The state added 13,400 workers over the last three years, well short of its goal to add 75,000 workers by the end of the decade, according to an update to the state's 10-year economic strategy released Friday.
Maine has consistently had the oldest workers in the country, Heather Johnson, the department's commissioner, said Friday.
"As people retire, and we have fewer people being born than are retiring, there's a natural compression of our workforce," she said. "Our ability to attract new people into our workforce is really key, and making sure that anyone that is prime working age has opportunities."
For every seven young people who enter Maine's workforce, 10 older workers retire, the report said.
In-migration has helped. Maine saw a net gain of 21,200 people in 2021, and 8,000 people in 2022, though Johnson acknowledged it's unclear how long that trend will continue.
On a positive note, employee wages after inflation have increased by 10% in Maine over the last four years. Worker productivity has risen by nearly 13%, according to the report.
Johnson said many companies have invested in new ways to more efficiently provide goods and services in recent years.
That's driven up our productivity numbers," she said. "Workers are getting additional training and skills, and that's improving productivity and process improvement. So combined, we are seeing an improvement in productivity, and coupled with that, came an improvement in wages as well."
The number of Mainers with some kind college degree or trade certificate has risen to 55% from 44% over the last four years. The economic update attributed the increase, in part, to Maine's free community college program, which state officials said they want to maintain and expand.
