(Wethersfield, CT) – Today, Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Interim Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo announced that the state’s November unemployment rate continues to drop; the state is now at 6.0%, down 0.4 points from October. Additionally, Connecticut added 5,600 jobs in November, making this the 11th consecutive month of job growth.
Commissioner Bartolomeo said, “This labor report brings continued good economic news—the labor force is growing, most industry sectors are growing, and more job seekers are taking advantage of the job opportunities out there. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but the numbers tell a powerful story. At this time last year, we had nearly 157,000 people receiving unemployment benefits. Now, that number has dropped to about 45,000 weekly filers, the job market is growing, and people are finding new jobs quickly. It’s critical that we continue to follow public health guidelines to ensure the virus variants don’t interrupt this recovery.”
CTDOL Director of Research Patrick Flaherty said, “The economic trends in Connecticut are quite positive—our unemployment rate has fallen rapidly and our economic recovery is strong and stable. Across the nation and in Connecticut, workers are leaving their jobs in record numbers for new, better jobs. This churn is opening up opportunities across almost all industry sectors—good news for those who are entering the market or looking for better employment.”
As expected with the declining unemployment rate, Connecticut has triggered off the federal Extended Benefits program. Extended Benefits, a 13-week extension to regular state unemployment benefits, expire when the state’s three-month average unemployment rate falls below 6.5%. Approximately half of the state’s close to 45,000 weekly filers are currently using Extended Benefits and will be notified that the program ends on January 8, 2022.
TOPLINE POINTS FROM THE REPORT
- October job numbers were revised up from 5,900 jobs to 7,100 jobs.
- Nine of 10 industry supersectors grew.
- Connecticut has regained 75.3% of the 292,400 jobs lost in the 2020 lockdown.
- Connecticut has added a total of 53,400 jobs in 2021 bringing the total payroll employment to 1.62M.
#DOLDaily video with economist Patrick Flaherty: Major Takeaways from the November Labor Report