Maine's tech sector lags others, but weathered 2020 better than most
A new study says Maine’s technology sector lags those of most states in impact, but held its own during the economic havoc of the pandemic’s first year.
The tech industry was responsible for $3.4 billion of Maine’s gross domestic product in 2020, ranking 44th in the share of GDP among the states, according to the report by TechNet, a national coalition of innovation economy executives.
The sector employed 36,000 workers in Maine, or 5.4% of the workforce, a share that ranked 41st in the U.S.
Maine saw a net loss of 82 tech jobs in 2020, which despite the negative number ranked the state 24th nationally in net employment change. A total of 6,188 tech jobs were posted during the year.
The number of tech jobs in Maine is expected to grow 11% between 2020 and 2030, according to TechNet. But hirings must grow by at least 17.9% in order to maintain current tech employment levels.
“With the oldest population in the country and the state’s median age closing in on retirement, Maine must identify strategies to promote skills training and expand the skilled labor force,” the report said. “In addition to long-term solutions like STEM education investment, increased high-skilled immigration can help mitigate Maine’s skills gap.”
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