These Are The 10 Worst Places In Maine To Get A Job

Top 10 Challenging Cities for Job Seekers in Maine (2026)

As we adapt to the evolving job landscape in 2026, it’s essential to identify the regions where job prospects remain challenging. At Zippia, we have undertaken a comprehensive analysis to pinpoint the cities in Maine that present the most difficulties for job seekers today.

After evaluating various economic indicators and employment trends, we have compiled a list of the ten hardest-hit cities for employment opportunities in the Pine Tree State. These locations still face significant hurdles in job creation, making them less favorable for those seeking new career paths.

Continue reading to discover how we came to these conclusions.

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Methodology for Identifying Challenging Job Markets in Maine

For our analysis, we focused on the largest cities in Maine, specifically those with populations exceeding 5,000 residents, resulting in a total of 100 cities evaluated.

The cities were ranked based on several key employment metrics, with a lower score indicating a tougher job market. We averaged the rankings across these criteria to determine which cities are currently the most difficult for job seekers.

We considered the following criteria:

1. Lincoln

Population: 3,189 Recent Job Growth: -1.39%
Future Job Growth: 27.40%

2. Millinocket

Population: 4,530 Recent Job Growth: -7.60%
Future Job Growth: 9.50%

3. Madawaska

Population: 3,136 Recent Job Growth: -1.90%
Future Job Growth: 28.70%

4. Caribou

Population: 8,169 Recent Job Growth: -1.60%
Future Job Growth: 28.10%

5. Paris

Population: 5,174 Recent Job Growth: -0.46%
Future Job Growth: 32.20%

6. Presque Isle

Population: 9,638 Recent Job Growth: -1.61%
Future Job Growth: 30.50%

7. Houlton

Population: 5,029 Recent Job Growth: 0.13%
Future Job Growth: 33.90%

8. Pittsfield

Population: 3,261 Recent Job Growth: 0.55%
Future Job Growth: 33.40%

9. Ellsworth

Population: 7,717 Recent Job Growth: 0.72%
Future Job Growth: 34.20%

10. Sanford

Population: 10,084 Recent Job Growth: 0.97%
Future Job Growth: 33.30%

Conclusion

After thorough analysis, Lincoln emerged as the most challenging city for job seekers in Maine. While the state’s economy is gradually improving, these cities continue to struggle with job creation and growth.

As we move forward, it’s crucial for these communities to develop strategies to enhance their employment opportunities and attract new businesses. This will help ensure that they don’t miss out on future economic growth.

Detailed List of Challenging Job Markets in Maine

City	Rank	Population	Recent Job Growth	Future Job Growth
Lincoln	1	3,189	-1.39%	27.40%
Millinocket	2	4,530	-7.60%	9.50%
Madawaska	3	3,136	-1.90%	28.70%
Caribou	4	8,169	-1.60%	28.10%
Paris	5	5,174	-0.46%	32.20%
Presque Isle	6	9,638	-1.61%	30.50%
Houlton	7	5,029	0.13%	33.90%
Pittsfield	8	3,261	0.55%	33.40%
Ellsworth	9	7,717	0.72%	34.20%
Sanford	10	10,084	0.97%	33.30%

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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