Counties with the highest unemployment in Maine
Despite a relatively low unemployment rate just shy of 4%, as compared to the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Maine using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in April 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Economists forecast a waning risk of recession and predict that the U.S. may instead be headed for an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing." Still, layoffs among major U.S. employers like Amazon to Tesla have sparked concern among Americans. What's more, unemployment has spiked in nearly half the country's states, which often indicates a looming recession, an economist told Business Insider. And with sky-high prices after a period of record inflation, savings and unemployment payments may not cover basic expenses for jobless Americans for long.
For comparison, the Great Recession of 2007-09 sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
Still, as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state vary, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Maine.
#16. Sagadahoc County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,598 people (402 unemployed)
#15. Cumberland County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 166,645 people (3,539 unemployed)
#14. Kennebec County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 62,857 people (1,500 unemployed)
#13. York County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 114,926 people (2,848 unemployed)
#12. Lincoln County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,725 people (444 unemployed)
#11. Androscoggin County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 54,180 people (1,485 unemployed)
#10. Waldo County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,499 people (575 unemployed)
#9. Knox County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,748 people (565 unemployed)
#8. Penobscot County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 75,594 people (2,257 unemployed)
#7. Oxford County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,384 people (823 unemployed)
#6. Hancock County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,009 people (951 unemployed)
#5. Franklin County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,849 people (517 unemployed)
#4. Somerset County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,446 people (831 unemployed)
#3. Washington County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,734 people (617 unemployed)
#2. Aroostook County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,148 people (1,377 unemployed)
#1. Piscataquis County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,147 people (355 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
