Maine's unemployment rate declined slightly in December.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says the jobless rate was 3.2%, down from 3.4% in November. It was also down from December 2024, when unemployment in Maine was at 3.5%.
Maine's jobless rate continues to be below the national rate, which was 4.4%.
The state's jobless rate has now been below 4% for 48 reporting months in a row. The longest such stretch was 49 months, ending in the spring of 2020. Though Maine is likely to break that record, it will come with an asterisk, since the federal shutdown prevented any unemployment report in October.
The state Labor Department says decreasing employment rates and the low, steady unemployment rate may be the result of more older Mainers retiring than young Mainers joining the workforce.
The number of jobs in the state decreased by 4,200 last year. The state reports the biggest decreases were in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and the federal government.
