AUGUSTA — Maine’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May was unchanged from the previous month.
State labor officials say the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent last month. The rate was down from 5.7 percent a year ago and the number of unemployed declined 7,800 over the year to 32,200. The state’s ratio of employment to population was 60.3 percent, which was above the U.S. average of 59.4 percent. Maine’s ratio of employment to population has exceeded the national average for nearly eight years.
The national preliminary unemployment rate of 5.5 percent was up slightly from 5.4 percent in April and down from 6.3 percent a year ago. New England’s unemployment rate was 4.9 percent. Vermont had the region’s lowest unemployment rate at 3.6 percent. Connecticut was highest at 6 percent.
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