Maine's unemployment rate rose slightly in December, but continued a long stretch at very low levels.
The Maine Department of Labor says Friday the preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 2.9%, up from 2.8% in November. The figure fell from 3.5% a year ago. The state's unemployment rare has been below 4% for four years. The labor department says the largest job gains were in the construction, leisure and hospitality and retail trade sectors.