(Wethersfield) – Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo today released an economic update in lieu of the monthly labor situation report, which is not available due to the federal government shutdown that ended on November 12, 2025.
Commissioner Bartolomeo said, “CTDOL is deeply appreciative that upon the end of the national government shutdown, our partners at the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics were immediately responsive and working to get data collection and economic analysis back on track. For two months, we’ve had very limited visibility around Connecticut’s economy and the impact of national policy on industry, employers, and job seekers. The agency will release information for September, October, and November as soon as it becomes available.”
CTDOL Director of Research and economist Patrick Flaherty said, “Economic data collection is a partnership between the federal government and states. While the federal shutdown is over, there are gaps due to data collection that did not happen during the shutdown. In Connecticut and across the country, state teams are working closely with our federal partners to get the data release schedule back on track.”
JOBS AND CLAIMS INFORMATION
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics usually reports on the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which identifies the number of job openings in each state. Although an updated JOLTS is not available, CTDOL continues to report on the job postings data available through Help Wanted Online (HWOL), which currently shows about 85,000 open jobs in Connecticut. This is up from approximately 80,000 job postings in October. Historically, HWOL and JOLTS job numbers track within a few thousand of each other.
- Industry sectors with the most job postings were Health Care & Social Assistance—12,768 jobs posted; Retail Trade— 10,819 jobs posted; and Professional & Scientific Services— 6,789 jobs posted.
- Unemployment claims data remains stable and normal for this time of year. Currently, Connecticut has about 30,000 weekly unemployment filers.
- Federal unemployment claims are within normal range; approximately 650 federal claims have been filed since January.
CTDOL expects to release delayed September and October data in the coming weeks. The agency will issue a media advisory prior to this release. The November data is expected to be available on the regular December 18, 2025, release date; this is subject to change.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released national job numbers on Thursday, November 20, 2025. A full list of release dates is available on their website.
Job seekers at all career levels are encouraged to schedule an appointment with their local American Job Center (AJC) for employment assistance. AJCs provide free resume and cover letter writing help, work with job seekers to improve interview and presentation skills, and offer job training and skill-building opportunities for people looking at new careers. Job fairs are listed on the CTDOL website and updated frequently.
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Federal funding supports many CTDOL programs in whole or in part. For a list of programs and their funding streams, please visit the federal funding page.
For Immediate Release: November 20, 2025