The economic divide between the greater Portland area and the rest of Maine has nearly doubled over the last 20 years, according to a new report from the Maine Center for Economic Policy.
The gross domestic product for the Portland metropolitan area increased by 39% over the last two decades or so. But for western and northeastern Maine, GDP remained almost flat.
The report attributes economic stagnation, in part, to lower labor force participation among workers in rural Maine compared with greater Portland workforce.
James Myall, an economic policy analyst with MECEP, said poor health is one of the major reasons why prime working age people are more likely to leave the labor force.
"We also know that the kinds of work that folks do in more rural parts of the state takes a greater toll on your body, whether that is heritage industries like agriculture and logging, but also even low-wage service work," he said.
And because workers in rural Maine are more likely to be self-employed or have part-time or seasonal jobs, Myall said they may not have access to affordable health care.
As a result, federal and state social safety net programs play an outsized role in improving economic outcomes for rural Mainers, but Myall said many of those services are under threat.
"Especially cuts to programs like MaineCare, and SNAP, the food assistance program, those are going to hit especially hard in those more rural parts of the state, not only for individuals but just for the economy," he said.
In addition, the report finds public sector work plays important role for rural Maine. Roughly one in seven Mainers have a public sector job. On one hand, Myall said those jobs can be a stabilizing force for rural economies.
"Public sector jobs are union jobs. They tend to have more stability and longevity for people. They can often provide better retirement and health care benefits than some of the private sector jobs," he said. "But the other side of it for folks can be the extent to which people in those jobs can be underpaid. So even though some of the benefits can be better, the salaries are not always as good and the wages. I think we see that in school districts, which have trouble hiring people."
