State’s economy added 3,600 jobs in September

Connecticut’s economy added 3,600 new jobs last month compared to September 2018 as the education sector showed robust growth, according to the state Department of Labor.

The state Labor Department also revised the August employment data from a 2,800 job increase that was originally reported down to 1,200. Connecticut’s unemployment rate for September was at 3.6 percent, unchanged from where it was in August.

Andy Condon, the state Labor Department’s director of research, cautioned against reading too much into the September employment numbers.

“Almost all the growth came from an unusually high increase in the education component of the education and health services sector,” Condon said in a statement. “We will have to wait and see if this level holds up in future months.”

The September employment gains in Connecticut came despite having just four of the 10 industry sectors that state and federal labor officials track adding workers.

The education and health care sector added 4,300 jobs to lead the way while the state’s manufacturing community added 600 jobs. The service sector saw a loss of 600 jobs while the number of workers at professional and business service companies dropped by 400.

The education subsector includes private elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional and business schools, technical and trade schools, and educational support services.

Connecticut has now recovered 85.1 percent or 102,400 of the 120,300 jobs the state lost during the last recession, which lasted for 22 months between March 2008 and the start of 2010.

Among the state’s individual labor markets, four of the six saw employment increases. The New Haven and BridgeportStamfordNowalk labor market areas each added 1,000 jobs, according to state officials.

Economists in the state are taking a waitandsee approach in assessing the September employment numbers and what significance should be placed on them.

“Overall, it’s a month that on the face of it is positive but still needs to be watched,” Pete Gioia, an economic adviser for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, the state’s largest business group, said in a statement. “Hopefully we will continue to see gains in employment throughout the rest of the year.”

Gioia said Connecticut has now added 2,400 new jobs this year, giving it a 0.1 percent growth rate, the slowest among the six New England states. Nationally, employment has grown by an average of 1 percent so far this year.

Donald KlepperSmith, chief economist and director of research for New Havenbased DataCore Partners, said the September job gains were, once again better than expected. September was the third straight month the state’s overall employment numbers grew.

“But history shows that data revision due in early 2020 may show a very different picture,” KlepperSmith said.

Luther Turmelle / Hearst Connecticut Media Dunkin’ Donuts employees at the 1101 North Colony Road location in Wallingford wait on a customer Thursday. The location is one of two in Connecticut debuting the chain’s “store of the future” concept.