•
None

Forbes magazine names Portland area sixth most optimistic for employment growth this spring

Forbes magazine on March 13, 2012 named the Portland, South Portland, Biddeford area as the metropolitan area having the sixth most optimistic forecast in the nation for hiring this spring.

The net employment outlook for the Portland area is 19 percent for the 2nd quarter of 2012, based on a national survey of employers by ManpowerGroup, an employment services firm.

That number is based on the percentage of employers who anticipate an increase in staffing levels and the percentage who expect a reduction.

Maine's unemployment rate during the recession has been lower than the national average. The national unemployment rate for January 2012 was 8.3 percent while Maine's was 7.0 percent. 

According to the Maine Center for Workforce Research and Information, the Portland, South Portland, Biddeford area average unemployment rate for 2011 was 6.1 percent.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.