Hard to find work in Maine?!? (Portland, Bangor: job market, income, taxes)

[lovemaine]

We love Maine and tried for 2 years to find my husband a job in grocery management anywhere in the state. Finally last month he received a call asking for an interview in the Portland area, but he had already accepted a job in North Carolina in the meantime. Sadly, Maine will forever be slightly out of reach for us, but we'll be back to visit. It's a beautiful, uncrowded, unspoiled state. (We especially love the Camden area.)

[Azbound]

holt4fam, the area around Portland has the largest job market. Camden, definitely a waterfront community has changed from working waterfront towards wealthy retirement. MBNA is a strong presence there and a great company to work for. Enjoy your time in North Carolina, it must be a "meant to be", at least for now!

[adventure_3]

I was just reading your mail, yes Maine is so pretty, and the people are wonderful, how ever after living there for two years, I couldn't make it either. you have to be either retired with income, or go there debt free and money in your pockets. other wise it a very nice place to live and ejoy yourself. I miss the area, and the people.

fyi, Maine is the #3 highest taxes state, and poorest in the nation. i believe Florida comes in 2nd.

wish you luck. e-mail me any time.

I live in Iowa now.
Bill

[Rocklobstr52]

Hi Bill,

Your post about Maine being the poorest state got me curious and actually there are 20 other states that are poorer than Maine. Accodring the the US Census website the following (ranked wealthiest to poorest) applies as of 2004 personal income per capita:

District of Columbia48,044 (X)
Connecticut 42,104 1
Massachusetts 38,768 2
New Jersey 38,333 3
Maryland 36,399 4
New York 35,454 5
New Hampshire 34,352 6
Colorado 33,446 7
Delaware 33,259 8
Minnesota 33,259 8
Virginia 32,903 10
Washington 32,738 11
California 32,478 12
Alaska 31,954 13
Illinois 31,858 14
Rhode Island 31,285 16
Nevada 30,981 17
Pennsylvania 30,928 18
Vermont 30,392 19
Hawaii 29,826 20
Wisconsin 29,824 21
Michigan 29,635 22
Florida 29,173 23
North Dakota 29,120 24
Nebraska 29,065 25
Ohio 29,049 26
South Dakota 28,617 27
Kansas 28,575 28
Missouri 28,387 29
Maine 28,348 30
Iowa 28,342 31
Texas 28,029 32
Indiana 27,910 33
Georgia 27,870 34
Tennessee 27,828 35
Oregon 27,796 36
North Carolina 27,124 37
Arizona 26,378 38
Oklahoma 26,051 39
Alabama 25,778 40
Kentucky 25,698 41
Louisiana 25,580 42
South Carolina 25,200 43
Idaho 25,132 44
Montana 24,908 45
Utah 24,675 46
New Mexico 24,291 47
West Virginia 23,995 48
Arkansas 23,858 49
Mississippi 22,861 50

[mwstp]

I agree with you as far as the job market, but hey, if it were any easier, it be another California.

[earlthepearl]

Originally Posted by Azbound

holt4fam, the area around Portland has the largest job market. Camden, definitely a waterfront community has changed from working waterfront towards wealthy retirement. MBNA is a strong presence there and a great company to work for. Enjoy your time in North Carolina, it must be a "meant to be", at least for now!

Now MBNA is gone from the area

[councilor j]

I dont know where u got that info on Maine being the poorest state-thats funny, try living in New Mexico, thats where I live, we are 3rd or 4th in the country in poverty. Try visiting some of these towns in New Mexico then u will know what poverty is. Come through the south valley or the war zone area in Albuquerque and see what its like. Some areas in the state look like Mexico.

[pixieshmoo]

The statistics are that Maine is the highest tax burden state in the US at 13%......Jersey, where I live is (can't remember the number) 10.40% and the lowest tax burden state is Alaska at 6% with NH right before that 7.40%.....As someone else said in here, Maine has plenty of states before it that are poorer. There are closer to 30 states that are poorer than Maine.

[droobie]

They keep adding restaurants and retail stores in the Bangor area. Some point they'll figure out that people want something more substantial than that.

I Do think the tide is changing though, just need a governor that recognizes the fact there is more to this state than Portland. Our current one is from here (Bangor), and seems to have forgotten.

He said at Umaine graduation a few years back that we need to find a way to keep the graduates in the state by offering them jobs to use their skills. So far it seems to be fluff.

Small business is a driver here, moreso than anything. It will and has been the people daring enough to start something themselves that ultimately help themselves and the state with job growth. I am glad people do take the chance to start shop here and expand.

[Phish Head]

I come from NJ as well. I've tried to find a job in Maine for almost 3 years now to no avail. I guess if jobs were plentiful, it would become another Jersey. My wife and I can't wait to move out of this hellhole. As far as Maine being the poorest state- not even close. Travel through West Virginia or Mississippi- you will then know what poor is. Maine is a slightly poorer state in comparision to other New England states, which tend to be wealthy.

We are still keeping our hopes up that something will pan out in Maine. Currently, we can no longer afford to live here.