Region: Connecticut adds 6,100 jobs in June

Connecticut added 6,100 net jobs in June, bringing the total number of jobs to 1,698,800, according to the Connecticut Department of Labor.

Compared to May, the number of unemployed residents dropped by 918, to 83,975. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.4 percent, compared to 4.7 percent last June and 4.5 percent in May. The national unemployment rate in June 2018 was 4 percent.

From June 2017 to June 2018, nonfarm employment in the state grew by 14,900 jobs, including 1,000 in the Norwich-New London-Westerly labor market area.

“June’s increase of 6,100 jobs overcame the entire decline we saw in March and April,” Andy Condon, director of the Office of Research, said in a news release. “Our three month average job growth has once again turned positive. The seasonally adjusted year-over-year job gain of nearly 15,000 jobs is very encouraging, but this number can be volatile.”

The government “supersector” — including federal, state and local employment, along with public higher education and casino employment on tribal land — lost 1,500 positions in June and is down 4,500 jobs over last year.

The other two supersectors to see decreases were trade, transportation and utilities, and other services.

The supersectors with the most new jobs in June were leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and construction and mining. The state now has recovered 87.8 percent of the jobs lost in the Great Recession, while the private sector has recovered 111.2 percent of the jobs.

Average hourly earnings in the private sector are up 53 cents over the June 2017 estimate.

In a statement released Thursday morning, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said efforts to create jobs are working and specifically touted the gains of the manufacturing sector.

“Coming on the heels of announcements by major companies that they will relocate to and expand in Connecticut, this jobs report is proof that we are moving in the right direction,” he said.