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| "Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity."
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
1918-2008
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Facts
Maine's Workforce
Maine has an older workforce than most states. Workers 55 and up constitute 20% of our workforce versus 17% nationally. Maine's workforce also includes a larger percentage of workers who either have graduated from high school or attended some college. Other 2007 facts about Maine workers:
- 27% have a
a bachelor's degree
- 38% of our New England neighbors
have a bachelor's degree - The median hourly wage in Maine is $14.29
- The national hourly median wage is $15.10
- Unemployment in Maine was 4.7% in July of 2007 and 5.4% in July of 2008
- Current national unemployment figures are
at 6.1%
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Figures
37.3 Million
Number of Americans living in poverty
13.3 Million
Number of American children living in poverty
45.7 Million
Number of Americans without health insurance
8.15 Million
Number of American children without health insurance
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Poverty 2007
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| Greetings!
Labor day has come and gone and so have the summer residents and tourists. Every year at this time, the Maine Center for Economic Policy releases its State of Working Maine report. We dedicate this issue of MECEP Matters to the working people of Maine who labor in Maine all four seasons.
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Tax Burden Put to Rest
At last, the truth is out - Maine ranks 15th  not 1st in state and local tax burden on residents. MECEP and others have disagreed with the erroneous figures put out by the conservative Tax Foundation for years. And while we could revel in a 'we told you so' moment, we prefer to use this opportunity to challenge legislators on both sides of the aisle, officials, businesspeople and citizens to see the corrected figures as a fresh environment in which to work together for true tax reform in our state. Read Worst Tax Rankings? Not True and View Executive Director Christopher St. John on MaineWatch discussing where we go from here. |
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Spotlight: Maine Workers
 Maine people are known for their work ethic, often working multiple jobs to support themselves and their families. In 2007, the Maine economy grew modestly, as did productivity and per capita personal income. Unfortunately many of these gains are being erased by the sharp increases in food and fuel. This summer, MECEP policy analyst Kurt Wise has been collecting and analyzing the most current data on the Maine workforce (see our Publications Section). Federal policy analyst Nicole Witherbee has been working with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities studying and reporting on the recently released US Census data on poverty, income and health insurance coverage (see our Partners Section). Recent statistics present a troubling picture nationally and for Maine. They also provide a glimpse of the road ahead and strategies we can pursue to strengthen the capacity of Maine workers and improve economic outcomes for our state.
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In the News 
A selection of press releases, articles and opinion pieces from a variety of media on issues we care about.
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Reports and Publications  Each fall, MECEP reports on the state of Maine's workforce. The State of Working Maine is produced in conjunction with the Economic Policy Institute's biennial national report, The State of Working America, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's current Population Survey, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The State of Working Maine by Kurt Wise and Sarah Richards
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On the Air
State of the State is our weekly cable television show about issues facing Maine. Check here for programs, airtimes, schedules and podcasts, or contact us for a DVD.
Recently aired and upcoming programs:
- School Consolidation and the New School Year
- Maine Forest and Wood Products Sustainability
- Maine's Taxes and Income
- Maine's Heating Oil Challenge
- A Conversation with Attorney General Steve Rowe
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Partners in Prosperity: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
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Sincerely,
Deborah Felder
Maine Center for Economic Policy |
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