Trends in Maine

The shortage of accountants is being felt in Maine, as well as more populous states. From the Portland Press Herald:

In short, Maine has an above-average concentration of workers in occupations that tend to pay less than the "all-business" average salary.

For the nine occupations for which Maine has a below average share, on the other hand, average salaries are much higher -- $56,800 in Maine and $62,700 in the U.S. By far the largest component of this subcategory is accountants and auditors. These occupations provided nearly 3,100 jobs in Maine, 15 percent of the "business operations" category, compared to 19 percent for the U.S. as a whole. In the other elements of this subcategory -- management analysts and human relations specialists -- Maine has relatively few jobs.

The conclusions are clear. If we are to increase our incomes statewide, we must seek not merely to increase our job creation generally but to increase our job creation in high-skill, high-wage occupations. The reasons for our overrepresentation in lower paying occupations undoubtedly lie, at least partially, in the heritage of our natural resource and small business
history.

More high-skill, high-wage jobs sorely needed [Portland Press-Herald]