Maine’s low unemployment rate was down slightly in February

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Unemployment ticked down slightly in February in Maine, where the rate has been low for more than three years.

The Maine Department of Labor says the preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.4 for the month. That was just below the 3.5 percent in each of the previous six months. The unemployment rate in February 2018 was even lower at 3.2 percent.

State labor officials say Maine’s unemployment rate has been below 4 percent for 38 consecutive months, which is the longest such stretch on record.

The nationwide unemployment rate for February was 3.8 percent. That was down slightly from 4 percent in January and 4.1 percent a year ago.