Maine’s preliminary unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in August, little changed from 5.5 percent in July and down from 6.6 percent one year ago.

The number of unemployed declined 7,400 over the year to 39,800, according to a news release from the Main Department of Labor.

The U.S. unemployment rate estimate was 6.1 percent, little changed from 6.2 percent in July and down from 7.2 percent one year ago. The New England unemployment rates were 4.4 percent in New Hampshire, 4.1 percent in Vermont, 5.8 percent in Massachusetts, 7.7 percent in Rhode Island, and 6.6 percent in Connecticut.