Labor Force
Maine's labor force grew 1% in 2021 but remains below pre-pandemic levels.
No significant movement since the last available data
Benchmark: Maine’s labor force will increase to 700,000 by 2030.
Overview
A skilled and educated labor force is essential for a healthy economy. As baby boomers retire, the ranks of working-age Mainers are smaller. Furthermore, many young people are delaying entering the labor force to pursue education and training opportunities. This has contributed to a slow decline in Maine’s labor force, equal to several hundred workers annually since 2010.
In 2020, COVID dealt another blow to Maine’s workforce as it shrank by over 25,000. It bounced back in 2021, rising 1% to 680,000, but has yet to return to prepandemic levels. While these statistics are subject to revision, it is clear that businesses in nearly every sector are struggling to find workers. The Council supports the goal of Maine’s 10-Year Economic Strategy, which calls for the labor force to increase to about 700,000 by 2030.
To continue growing Maine’s workforce, and counter these trends, Maine must attract more working-age people from other states and countries, retain more of the young people born here, and help more Mainers participate in the workforce.
Fig. A
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Maine's Labor Force
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics