MAINE: Maine’s labor department says the state’s unemployment rate fell slightly in December. The labor department says the preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.8 percent was a dip from 4 percent in November. The rate was 4.1 percent a year ago.
Maine’s unemployment rate was below the national average, which was also down slightly from a year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.7 percent. It had been 4.6 percent in November and 5 percent a year ago. New England’s six-state unemployment rate was 3.5 percent. The lowest rate was New Hampshire at 2.6 percent and the highest rate was 5 percent in Rhode Island.
