Maine records slight job gains in October as labor crunch continues

Gov. Janet Mills’ announcement this week that all Maine adults are eligible for a vaccine booster shot could help improve the state’s job recovery, said Arthur Phillips, a policy analyst for the progressive-leaning Maine Center for Economic Policy. Elements of the $1.85 trillion Build Back Better bill passed by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday could aid employment, too, Phillips added.

“The best way to remove barriers to returning to work is to ensure workers are safe and protected so that they can provide for themselves and their families,” Phillips said in a statement. “The governor’s update and passage of the Build Back Better bill, with its investments in child care in particular, will help improve the jobs situation for Maine.”

Click here to read the full story, first published November 19, 2021, in the Portland Press Herald.