Despite a lower unemployment rate than the United States, Maine has long had lower household income than the United Stes...
Of the five economic sectors employing the most Mainers, not one is among the five economic sectors paying the highest average wages...
Of the top ten employeers in Maine, the top two are governments and six more are service providers:
#1. Maine State Government: 24000-24500 employees
#2. Federal Government: 15500-16000 employees
#3. Hannaford: 7000-7500 employees
#4. Wal-Mart/Sam's Club: 7000-7500 employees
#5. Maine Medical Center: 6000-6500 employees
#6. Bath Iron Works: 5000-5500 employees
#7. LL Bean: 4000-4500 employees
#8. Eastern Maine Medical Center: 3000-3500 employees
#9. Unum Provident: 3000-3500 employees
#10. Maine General Medical Center: 2500-3000 employees
Source: Center for Workforce Research and Information
And in Maine, more people work for themselves than is typical in the United States...
But it pays off differently depending on your degree and major:
And Mainers are earning college degrees in ways that are subtly different from Americans on average:
When recent Maine college and university graduates explain their decision to stay to live in Maine after graduation, they cite quality-of-life issues:
But when recent Maine college and university graduates explain their decision to leave Maine after graduation, they cite employment pressures:
