Maine’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May was 7.4 percent, up from 7.2 percent in April but down from 7.7 percent a year ago, according to the state Department of Labor.

The number of unemployed totaled 52,400, down 1,500 over the year.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 8.2 percent, compared with 8.1 percent for April and down from 9.0 percent a year ago.

In New England, the unemployment rate was 6.8 percent. The unemployment rate throughout New England ranged from a low of 4.6 percent in Vermont to a high of 11.0 percent in Rhode Island.

Estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate there were 592,600 nonfarm payroll jobs in May, little changed from the revised estimate for April. Declining state and local government jobs offset private sector gains, the bureau said.