AUGUSTA — Maine’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.4 percent last month.

The state Department of Labor says the number of unemployed people declined by 8,000 over the year to 22,800. The unemployment rate was 4.5 percent a year ago.

Maine’s unemployment rate was less than the U.S. rate of 5 percent, which also held steady from March to April.

The New England unemployment rate was 4.4 percent, with a low of 2.6 percent in New Hampshire. The highest unemployment rate in the six-state region was in Connecticut at 5.7 percent.

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