AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) New claims for unemployment have ticked down in Maine as the state navigates the coronavirus pandemic.

The Maine Department of Labor said Thursday it recorded about 1,400 initial claims for state unemployment insurance for the week that ended March 20. That was down 500 from the previous week.

The department also said it recorded 300 initial claims for federal pandemic unemployment assistance, which was the same number as the previous week. The agency said a total of 2,500 people were filing an initial claim or reopening an unemployment claim. That was down 100 from the previous week.

Overall, unemployment in the state remains more than pre-pandemic levels, but is also less than the nationwide rate. The labor department said the state had 5.2% unemployment in January, up from 3 percent in January 2020. The nationwide rate for January 2021 was 6.3 percent.