Congresswoman Chellie Pingree says trend is in right direction, but much remains to be done

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said unemployment figures released by the Maine Department of Labor show encouraging signs for the recovery of the state’s economy, but stressed the need to keep up the momentum to create jobs for Mainers.

“Maine families continue to struggle in this tough economy and we’re all frustrated with the uncertainty of how much longer we will have to go through it,” said Pingree. “But I’m encouraged by numbers here in Maine this month. We are moving in the right direction but we still have a long way to go.”

The statewide unemployment percentage for September in Maine was 7.7 percent, the lowest in a year and a half and well below the national rate of 9.6. Over the last year, the state’s rate has dropped from 8.1 percent, and there are over 4,000 fewer people unemployed.

Unemployment numbers in the six counties of the First Congressional District—York, Cumberland, Lincoln, Knox, Kennebec, and Sagadahoc—have dropped even more. While these figures are not adjusted seasonally, each county’s unemployment percentages dropped between .7 and 1.2 percent between September 2009 and September 2010. Each county’s number of unemployed is also the lowest it’s been in nearly two years, at the beginning of the economic crisis.

“We certainly need to see better economic growth before we know we’re out of the woods,” said Pingree. “But these numbers show that what we’ve been doing to help small businesses get capital, invest in our infrastructure, and target economic development is having an impact in Maine. We need to keep up the pressure so this recovery can reach the Maine families who desperately need it.”