(Wethersfield, CT) – Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Interim Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo today reported that the September labor numbers continue the state’s recovery from the pandemic that shut down the economy 18 months ago. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the state’s September unemployment rate was at 6.8%, down from 7.2% in August. An estimated 4,700 jobs were added to Connecticut’s economy.
Commissioner Bartolomeo said, “While there is more work to do, both unemployment and job growth rates continue to be positive news for the state’s economy and our workforce. There are thousands of good paying jobs with benefits out there and employers are hiring quickly—in some cases on site at job fairs and other events. It’s a great time for workers to strengthen their skills, get into the market, and even start a whole new career.”
Director of CTDOL Office of Research Patrick Flaherty said, “Connecticut has now regained just over 70% of the jobs we lost during the March-April 2020 pandemic lockdown. The high performers this month were in Wholesale Trade, Transportation & Warehousing, and Healthcare & Social Assistance—in total, contributing 4,100 jobs to the economy. Construction has now regained all of the jobs lost during the pandemic. We are going in the right direction and anticipate continued progress.”
TOPLINE POINTS FROM THE LABOR REPORT:
- September job gains are broad, encompassing 7 of 10 supersectors.
- The three supersectors that declined were Professional and Business Services (including employment services such as temporary agencies); Government; and Other Services including personal care, summer camps, and other service providers.
- The state has regained 70.4% of jobs lost during the pandemic lockdown.
- Food services, retail, and professional services have recovered 75% of jobs lost.
RESOURCES FOR JOB SEEKERS AND EMPLOYERS:
- American Job Centers provide employment training and readiness and job assistance for job seekers as well as recruitment assistance for employers.
- CTHires is the official state job bank—jobs and employers are vetted; job seekers may establish a profile and have jobs emailed directly to them; labor market information is available to employers.
- Job fairs are posted on the CTDOL website and @CTHires on Twitter and Facebook.
#DOLDaily September 2021 video comment from economist Patrick Flaherty
Performance by Industry Supersector
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For Immediate Release: October 21, 2021
Reminder for reporters: CTDOL estimates that the yearly revised unemployment numbers released in March 2022 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics will offer a fuller picture of the state’s unemployment rate during the pandemic. The pandemic created multiple complexities for unemployment surveys—issues the Bureau of Labor Statistics and labor departments are aware of and communicate on. The survey size, a relatively small sample in Connecticut, also included many first-time unemployed residents whose employment status during the height of the pandemic was uncertain at the time they responded to the survey.