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V O L . X X I V N O. X X I I I O C T O B E R 1 , 2 0 1 8 6 Maine jobless rate below 4% for longest period on record Maine seasonally adjusted unemploy- ment rate was 3.2% in August, up slightly from 3.0% in July but margin- ally lower than 3.4% a year ago, accord- ing to preliminary data. Maine has now had an unemployment rate below 4.0% for 33 consecutive months, the longest period on record, according to the Maine Department of Labor. e number of unemployed declined 1,400 since a year ago, to 22,400. U.S. unemployment was at 3.9% in August, unchanged from July and down from 4.4% a year earlier. e New England average for August was 3.6%. Within Maine, unemployment rates not adjusted for seasonal factors were lowest in Sagadahoc County and highest in Aroostook and Washington counties. And in Franklin and Piscataquis counties, unemployment rates in August were the lowest on record. Among metro areas, rates were below the statewide average in the Portland-South Portland area (2.4%) and close to average in Lewiston- Auburn (3.0%) and Bangor (3.1%). B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state S T A T E W I D E MEMBER FDIC EQUAL HOUSING LENDER 1-800-447-4559 | bathsavings.com PARTNER WITH A NEIGHBOR You have a vision to build something meaningful in the community, and we have the experience to help make it happen. Custom lending solutions are here for you — and so are we. Let's talk. Patricia A. Erickson Vice President, Commercial Lending Maine ranks No. 10 'happiest' work environment B y M a i n e b i z S t a f f Mainers may feel so-so about some things, but a recent study suggests they may be smiling about their jobs. Overall, Maine ranks No. 33 in a WalletHub analysis of how happy residents are with their lives. But when it comes to indicators of satisfaction with the work environment, Maine is No. 10 and the highest scorer among the New England states. Massachusetts is the second-happiest work environment in the region, at No. 16, and 14th in overall happiness, according to the WalletHub site. Other happy places: Vermont, No. 23 among work envi- ronments, and No. 38 overall; New Hampshire, No. 27 and No. 24, respectively; Rhode Island, No. 31 in both rankings; and Connecticut, No. 40 and No. 12. The WalletHub study compiled data for each state in 31 socioeconomic measures associated with feelings of hap- piness and well-being. The criteria ranged from indicators of emotional and physical health, such as the percentage of adults diagnosed with depression, to factors related to residents' communities and lifestyles, such as the average amount of time spent on leisure activities. When analyzing the work environment in each state, WalletHub looked at a dozen criteria, including measure- ments of consumers' economic confidence and self-reported job satisfaction. The analysis also examined factors widely correlated with levels of happiness, such as long-term unem- ployment rates and average commuting times. "One thing that doesn't drive happiness is money," the WalletHub site read. "Happiness only increases with wealth up to an annual income of $75,000," citing a 2010 study. Hawaii ranked as the happiest state overall, but was only No. 30 on the work-environment scale. The state with the happiest work environment was Utah, which ranked second- happiest overall. B R I E F HAPPIEST STATES IN THE U.S., BY WORK ENVIRONMENT S O U R C E : WalletHub report on "2018's Happiest States in America" State Work Environment Emotional & Physical Well-Being Community & Environment Overall Rank Utah 1 18 2 2 Idaho 2 24 1 6 Colorado 3 19 46 18 Oregon 4 43 24 39 Washington 5 29 9 17 Minnesota 6 2 10 3 Montana 7 37 17 28 Tennessee 8 41 40 40 North Dakota 9 6 6 4 Maine 10 36 30 33

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