STATE’S LABOR MARKET PICTURE DIDN’T CHANGE MUCH IN ‘QUIET’ JULY

July occasioned little change in Connecticut’s labor market, with the state losing an estimated 600 non-agricultural jobs and the unemployment rate remaining at 5 percent, unchanged since the previous month, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.

A previously reported gain of 7,000 jobs in June was revised downward to 5,600 jobs gained.

“July was a relatively quiet month in Connecticut’s labor markets with both payroll jobs and unemployment statistics changing very little,” Andy Condon, director of the department’s Office of Research, said in a statement. “Over the year, payroll job growth in July was 11,600, well ahead of last year’s performance.”

Private sector employment grew by 300 jobs in July and by 14,700 jobs over the year. Government jobs, a category that includes all federal, state and local government employment, including public higher education and southeastern Connecticut’s tribal casinos, lost 900 jobs last month and is down by 3,100 jobs for the year.

Five of the 10 major industry sectors experienced job growth in July, led by the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which added 2,200 jobs. Other services gained 1,000 jobs and education and health services grew by 800 jobs. Financial activities contributed 500 jobs while the information sector grew by 100 jobs.

Leisure and hospitality lost 2,000 jobs in the month, the largest decline of any sector. The jobs loss was potentially a seasonal adjustment after a large growth in jobs in June, the labor department said.

Connecticut has now recovered 98,000, or 82.3 percent, of the 119,100 seasonally adjusted jobs lost in the Great Recession.

The New London-Norwich Labor Market Area led all labor market areas in job growth last month, adding an estimated 1,200 jobs. It is now the fastest-growing labor market area in the state over the year in terms of the percentage of jobs added.

The national unemployment rate for July was 4.3 percent.