How many jobs were lost in Maine last month?
Refreshed monthly
Maine lost 1,600 jobs in May 2026, ranking it 44th among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 657 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-1.6K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
44th
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
Maine’s job loss of 1,600 May 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was down from the 800 gain in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), Maine gained jobs in 32 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the fifth-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in July 2022 (+5,700) while job growth was weakest in October 2025 (-4,100).
There were 1,600 fewer jobs in May 2026 in Maine than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Maine sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were retail trade, arts, entertainment, and recreation, and other services. Retail trade added 700 jobs, more than the entire economy. Arts, entertainment, and recreation gained 300 jobs, while other services added 300 jobs. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector lost 1,000 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Maine (May 2026)
How does Maine's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, Maine lost an average of 217 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 625, and the fourth-lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fourth-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 108,333 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 77,750 on average every month in 2023.
In 2025, Maine lost an average of 217 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among three metro areas primarily in Maine during May 2026 ranged from a loss of 1,000 jobs in the Portland, ME area to a gain of 100 jobs in the Bangor, ME area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Maine
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +100 | |
| 2. | +0 | |
| 3. | -1,000 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
