Occupational Employment Outlook to 2026 Our recent Employment Outlook blog focused on how an aging population is constraining job growth in Maine. We expect the relative flatness of the last decade to continue through our forecast horizon of 2026. Though little change in total employment is expected, large numbers of job openings are expected each year, and the structure of employment will continue to gradually shift toward certain occupations and away from others. Changes in demand for goods and services and the competitive landscape, as well as other factors cause employment to rise in some companies and industries and decline in others. This directly impacts which occupations are in demand. Changes in bank employment, for example, impacts demand for tellers and loan officers, as changes in construction employment impacts demand for carpenters and electricians. The occupational distribution of jobs within companies and industries also changes over time as technology and in