Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Maine
Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Maine using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
#16. Sagadahoc County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 18,640 (502 unemployed)
#15. Cumberland County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 163,020 (4,641 unemployed)
#14. York County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 111,080 (3,112 unemployed)
#13. Lincoln County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 16,368 (479 unemployed)
#12. Hancock County
--- 1 month change: +0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 28,885 (863 unemployed)
#11. Kennebec County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 59,738 (1,886 unemployed)
#10. Waldo County
--- 1 month change: +0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 19,891 (641 unemployed)
#9. Knox County
--- 1 month change: +0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 19,123 (622 unemployed)
#8. Androscoggin County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 53,271 (1,786 unemployed)
#7. Penobscot County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 74,593 (2,541 unemployed)
#6. Franklin County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 13,254 (512 unemployed)
#5. Oxford County
--- 1 month change: +0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 25,179 (971 unemployed)
#4. Aroostook County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 27,418 (1,128 unemployed)
#3. Piscataquis County
--- 1 month change: +0.3%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 7,163 (296 unemployed)
#2. Washington County
--- 1 month change: +0.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.5%
- Total labor force: 12,840 (565 unemployed)
#1. Somerset County
--- 1 month change: +0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 21,479 (983 unemployed)
