Report: Mainers made progress in wages and productivity, but state still faces shrinking labor force

Maine has hit targets for productivity and wage growth in the last few years, but faces a declining labor force, the state reported Friday in its updated 10-year economic development strategy. Real wages — employee pay after inflation — and productivity were up 10% in the last four years, according to “The Maine 2020-2029 Economic Development Strategy: The 2024 Reset.” Though Maine has made “significant progress” in labor force growth, it’s fallen short “of where we need to be,” the report said. Productivity measures how efficiently money and labor are...