How many jobs were added in Maine last month?
Updated Apr. 14, 2026Refreshed monthly
Maine gained 1,500 jobs in January 2026, ranking it 33rd 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 800 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+1.5K
month to month change in number of jobs (January 2026)
33rd
rank among states in monthly job growth (January 2026)
Maine’s job gain of 1,500 January 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was up from the 700 loss in December 2025.
During the latest five year period (February 2021 to January 2026), Maine gained jobs in 32 out of 60 months. October 2025 had the 19th-highest 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 1,500 more jobs in January 2026 in Maine than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, February 2021–January 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Maine sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in January 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in January 2026 were health care and social assistance, private educational services, and management of companies and enterprises. Health care and social assistance added 1,000 jobs. Private educational services gained 400 jobs, while management of companies and enterprises added 300. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The health care and social assistance sector gained 1,000 jobs during January 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Maine (January 2026)
How does Maine's job growth in 2025 compare to previous years?
In 2025, the state has lost an average of 350 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 367, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as fourth-lowest in job growth since 2020.
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 73,583 on average every month in 2023.
In 2025, Maine lost an average of 350 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among three metro areas at least partially in Maine during January 2026 ranged from a gain of 200 jobs in the Lewiston, ME area to a gain of 1,100 jobs in the Portland, ME area metro 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. | +1,100 | |
| 2. | +200 | |
| 3. | +200 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
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.
