CT adds estimated 500 jobs in November, as post-pandemic recovery continues

Connecticut added an estimated 500 jobs in November — a modest increase, but one that marked the third-consecutive month of employment gains in the state, according to data released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.

The new numbers confirmed that Connecticut has recovered all of the approximately 289,000 jobs that it lost in the spring of 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state reached the milestone despite the Department of Labor revising an originally estimated jobs gain for October from 3,700 to 3,400.

At the same time, the state’s unemployment rate remained low, at 3.6 percent, as it ran below the national average for the fourth-straight month. The state has about 23,000 weekly unemployment filers.

“This is a solid jobs report,” Patrick Flaherty, the Department of Labor’s director of research, said in a written statement. “Connecticut has entered a period of steady, sustainable job growth and low unemployment — a condition that will persist as long as the national economy continues to avoid recession.”

The estimated total of approximately 1.69 million payroll jobs last month in Connecticut recorded was about 24,000 positions, or 1.5 percent, higher than in November 2022. The state’s uptick compared with a national increase of 1.8 percent during the same period.

While Connecticut has recouped all the jobs lost at the beginning of the pandemic, it still needs to add 22,000 positions to match the 1.72 million jobs that it had in March 2008, which marked the state’s all-time employment peak.

Based on their estimated totals in November, the 10 major sectors in Connecticut have recorded the following changes in employment levels in the past year, on a percentage basis.

• Construction and mining: -0.5% (compared with total number of jobs in November 2022)

• Manufacturing: 0.3%

• Trade, transportation and utilities: 2.5%

• Information: 0.3%

• Financial activities: -2.9%

• Professional and business services: 0.5%

• Education and health services: 3.6%

• Leisure and hospitality: 1.7%

• Other services: 1.8%

• Government: 1.6%

On a month-over-month basis, four sectors are estimated to have gained jobs in November: education and health services; leisure and hospitality; government; and manufacturing. Five sectors are estimated to have lost jobs: professional and business services; financial activities; information; construction and mining; and trade, transportation and utilities. Employment in “other services” was unchanged.

The monthly estimates of employment levels are derived from surveys of businesses, while the unemployment rate and labor force estimates are based on household surveys.

With unemployment low, many job openings continue to go unfilled. There are about 75,000 jobs posted across the state, according to the Department of Labor.

“We have 1.3 job openings for every unemployed person, and while we continue to see encouraging trends, it’s clear that job growth is not keeping pace with the demands of our economy,” Chris DiPentima, CEO and president of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, said in a statement.

Highlighting the hiring headwinds, the state’s labor force had declined on a month-over-basis in each of the first eight months of 2023. (The labor force includes workers and unemployed people looking for work). The number has ticked up in the past three months, including an estimated gain last month of 1,171. But the estimated labor force of about 1.90 million in November was still lower than the total of 1.914 million in November 2022 and 1.938 million in February 2020, the last full month before the state recorded a COVID-19 case.

“With more than 75,000 jobs posted in Connecticut, more workers coming off the sidelines creates opportunity for both employers and job seekers — and will keep our economy headed in the right direction,” Department of Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said in a statement.

Connecticut will enter 2024 with momentum in the housing market and signs that its population growth is finally accelerating, DiPentima said. But he warned that the state cannot become complacent.

“It’s critical that we capitalize on these tailwinds to kickstart additional growth and unlock Connecticut’s economic potential,” DiPentima said. “We must expand workforce development programs and enact solutions to tackle critical issues like childcare, housing and affordability that will make Connecticut a more attractive place to live and work for all residents.”