03/10/2023
CT Dept. of Labor: Unemployment Falls To 3.9%; 2022 Job Growth Higher Than Reported; Employers Added 8,700 Jobs In January
(Wethersfield, CT) – Today, Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo and CTDOL Research Director Patrick Flaherty released the annual benchmark for 2022 and the January 2023 jobs report showing that Connecticut’s private sector has regained 96.9% of the jobs lost during the March-April 2020 pandemic shut down. Overall employment is 94.6% recovered with government lagging at 68% recovered.
Connecticut’s unemployment rate is a low 3.9%, down from 4.8% a year ago.
Commissioner Bartolomeo said, “This is positive news that speaks to the underlying strength of the state’s economy. Connecticut’s unemployment rate remains low and stable; workers are actively benefitting from the opportunities afforded by the strong jobs market; and weekly unemployment benefit filing continues to be below pre-pandemic levels. As we enter 2023 with an eye on the potential impacts of inflation, it’s worth reflecting on just how critical the 2020 infusion of $10.6 billion in pandemic unemployment benefits was to keeping Connecticut families afloat and the economy out of a depression.”
Economist Patrick Flaherty said, “Job growth is always good news and Connecticut businesses had a strong showing in 2022. They came into January with robust estimated jobs numbers as well. There’s no doubt that companies are constrained by the smaller labor force available to them right now. The state’s manufacturing industry, for example, is on an upward trajectory and will require a skilled workforce to replace thousands of retiring workers and fill new positions. Connecticut’s workforce development initiatives are critical to continued job growth and expansion.”
TOPLINE POINTS FROM THE REPORT:
- Connecticut employers added a total of 35,300 jobs from January 2022 to January 2023.
- Due to multiple factors including retirements, family care, and concerns about COVID, Connecticut’s labor pool has shrunk by 25,000 workers when compared to pre-pandemic levels.
- Currently, state employer payrolls include 1,681,800 jobs. Connecticut businesses have ~100,000 job vacancies they are trying to fill.
INDUSTRY SECTOR RECOVERY PROGRESS:
- In Hospitality and Leisure, restaurant employment is at 99% of pre-pandemic levels while hotels lag.
- Manufacturing is up 4,500 jobs from last year and is 82% recovered overall.
- In the Health Care and Social Assistance sector, child daycare (payroll daycare jobs that are exclusive of home daycare settings) is back to pre-pandemic employment levels. Hospital employment is up more than 1,000 workers and ambulatory care (doctors and dentists offices and home healthcare care) has recovered. Nursing home employment remains well below pre-pandemic levels.
- Finance, government, and real estate are among industry sectors experiencing recovery lags.
UNEMPLOYMENT:
- Unemployment data comparing January numbers shows a 35-year low with fewer than 29,000 people filing weekly for unemployment benefits in January 2023. Overall, weekly unemployment filing remains below pre-pandemic levels.
- The voluntary quit rate in Connecticut remains high with about 40,000 employees quitting their jobs in December. These workers are moving to other jobs or leaving the labor market; they are not filing for unemployment benefits.
The 2022 benchmark is based on employer data and revises previous estimates that comprise the monthly jobs surveys.
The February labor report will be issued March 23, 2023.
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For Immediate Release: March 10, 2023
Media Contact:
CTDOL Communications Unit
200 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield, CT 06109-1114
Email: CTDOL.Communications@ct.gov | https://www.ct.gov/dol