(Wethersfield, CT) – Today, Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo and CTDOL Research Director Patrick Flaherty released the annual benchmark report for 2024 and the January 2025 monthly labor data. Revised 2024 data largely mirrored the job numbers and unemployment rates reported in the monthly labor situation releases. Employers showed continued growth in January 2025 adding 2,300 jobs. The state’s unemployment rate rose 0.1% to 3.3%.
Commissioner Bartolomeo said, “Connecticut went into 2024 poised for growth. Employers added 16,000 jobs across a variety of industries, payroll jobs* reached and sustained a new all-time high, the labor force hit a new high, and the unemployment rate stayed very low. With 2,300 jobs added to January 2025 payrolls, the statewide economy remains in good shape and the year is off to a good start. While not reflected in the data yet, changes taking place on a national level will impact Connecticut’s economy; we are taking a cautious look ahead at 2025.”
CTDOL Director of Research Patrick Flaherty said, “With more than 1.7 million payroll jobs in Connecticut, it’s worth noting that Connecticut employers have sustained high job levels for 14 consecutive months. The last time we saw this many jobs was in 2008. Health Care & Social Assistance remains Connecticut’s strongest industry sector and where we saw the most job gains in 2024. It also has a continued high demand for workers.”
TOPLINE POINTS FROM THE REPORT:
- Connecticut employers currently have 1,718,400 payroll jobs.
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Employers added 16,000 payroll jobs between December 2023 and December 2024. From December 2022 to December 2023, Connecticut made a full recovery from the pandemic and added 19,600 jobs.
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Manufacturing declined by 1,400 jobs in 2024.
- Connecticut has 1,957,000 people in the labor force and a labor force participation rate of 65.0%. The US labor force participation rate is 62.6%. ‘In the labor force’ is defined as payroll workers, gig/self-employed workers, and people who are actively looking for work.
- Over the past 24 months, the state’s unemployment rate has been flat at an unsustainable low between 3.0 – 3.3%.
- Professional Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, and Finance & Insurance added the most jobs in January.
Connecticut currently has about 34,000 weekly unemployment filers and more than 70,000 open positions.
The regular February labor report will be issued on March 27, 2025.
While the monthly labor situation reports are based on employer surveys, the annual benchmark report is based on employer data and gives a fuller and more accurate picture of payroll employment, job numbers, and industry health over the past year. Monthly labor situation reports are revised the following month as some employer information is submitted after the deadline for inclusion.
*Payroll jobs in the private sector hit an all-time high of 1,483,700.
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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: March 14, 2025