Mixed report on jobs in state
Big gains in August offset smaller September drop; employment up for year
Connecticut lost 500 jobs last month but added 3,300 jobs in August, 2,200 more than previously announced, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.
For the year, nonagricultural employment in the state is up by 19,900 jobs, while the number of unemployed residents was estimated at 80,100, according to the department. September’s unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent, down a tenth of a percentage point over August’s rate and down three-tenths of a point compared to September 2017. The U.S. jobless rate in September was 3.7 percent.
“Despite the drop of 500 jobs in September, Connecticut’s labor market appears strong,” Andy Condon, director of the labor department’s Office of Research, said in a statement. “Annual growth increased to nearly 20,000 jobs. Only the trade, information and government supersectors show annual job losses.”
Private sector employment fell by 1,000 jobs in September, a loss partially offset by a 500-job gain in the government “supersector,” which includes all federal, state and local government employment, including
public higher education and the Native American casino employment on tribal land.
Four other major industry supersectors gained employment in September, while five declined.
The construction supersector added 1,000 new jobs, as did financial activities.
Manufacturing grew by 800 jobs, and “other services” contributed 500 new jobs. The trade, transportation and utilities supersector led declines, losing 2,300 jobs, while leisure and hospitality lost 1,100 jobs, information lost 400, education and health services 300 and professional and business services 200.
In a statement, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the monthly jobs report “again demonstrates that we are sustaining important momentum in our long-term effort to increase employment in Connecticut.”
“While it’s easy to get distracted by short-term gains and losses, doing so risks missing the important bigger picture,” he said. “To date, Connecticut has regained all of the private sector jobs lost during the Great Recession and has now added thousands more. Unemployment has dropped from 9.3 percent in December 2010 to 4.2 percent this month.”
Pete Gioia, economic adviser for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, said the state’s employment outlook “stumbled” in September.
“We have good news in some of our key sectors but stability is still lacking,” he said. “Volatility continues to impact our job market, highlighting the need for greater policy focus on fiscal stability and economic growth. It will be up to those candidates elected in November to create an environment that stimulates stronger investment and job creation.”
Two of the state’s six labor market areas added jobs in September, led by Hartford with 1,200 new positions. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk area added 500 jobs. New Haven saw the largest decline in September, losing 1,100 jobs. Waterbury and Danbury each lost 300 positions and Norwich-New London-Westerly lost 200 jobs.