Private sector jobs in Connecticut reached a new high in June as employers added around 3,300 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to just 3.9%, according to a monthly report released Thursday by the Department of Labor.
The report found total jobs in Connecticut at the highest level since June 2008 and private sector employment hitting 1.47 million jobs, an all-time-high, according to Patrick Flaherty, the Labor Department’s director of research and information.
The new numbers represent the sixth consecutive month of job growth in Connecticut, Labor Commissioner Dante Bartolomeo said in a press release.
“The state’s economy remains steady and stable with sustainable growth across a broad range of industries, a low unemployment rate, and good opportunities for job seekers,” Bartolomeo said. “Inflation has slowed, which is welcome news for Connecticut workers, and if the national economy remains in good shape, economists expect 2024 to be another growth year.”
Connecticut experienced job growth across both the private and public sectors. Employers added the most jobs in sectors related to accommodation and food service, private education, state government, as well as health care and social assistance, the report found.
However, the department also reported widespread gains in sectors related to transportation, warehousing, manufacturing, finance and insurance, and professional scientific and technical services, Flaherty said.
The report found that Connecticut has continued to exceed its pre-pandemic employment figures. Flaherty said that both total employment and private sector employment were more than 105% recovered from job losses related to the lockdowns of early 2020.
In a Thursday statement, Connecticut Business and Industry Association President and CEO Chris DiPentima highlighted the “big gains” Connecticut experienced in sectors related to education, health, government and leisure and hospitality.
“It’s heartening to see Connecticut’s economic momentum continue,” DiPentima said.
Posted by Hugh McQuaid