PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Unemployment claims have remained high in Maine during the early part of the new year. The Maine Department of Labor reports about 3,700 initial claims for state unemployment insurance during the week that ended Jan. 9. That figure is 200 less than the previous week, but 1,000 more than the week before that. The labor department reported a total of 4,150 people filed an initial claim or reopened an unemployment claim. That figure is also higher than the number from the last full week of 2020. Labor department officials said the coronavirus pandemic is continuing to have an impact on the job market in the state.
