CT adds 14,100 Jobs As Unemployment Falls To 6.1%

CONNECTICUT — The state recovered 14,100 additional non-farm payroll jobs last month, an increase of just under 1 percent, after a revised 18,000 increase in October.

The latest numbers were released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.

Over the year, non-farm industry employment in the state has fallen by 5.3 percent, or 89,800 positions to 1,600,200 seasonally adjusted. The preliminary October 2020 job gain of 17,000 was revised higher by 1,000 jobs. These are the non-farm industry job estimates from the establishment survey overseen by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Nearly all sectors added jobs in October, and Connecticut has now regained more than two- thirds of the private sector jobs that were lost in March and April," said Patrick Flaherty, acting director of the Office of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor. "The drop in the unemployment rate is consistent with other data, but the level of the unemployment rate is lower than would be indicated by the number of unemployment insurance claims."

The transportation and warehousing sectors have recovered more than 90 percent, according to Flaherty.

Private Sector employment increased by 11,200 (0.8 percent) to 1,376,400 jobs in October but remains lower by 76,800 (-5.3 percent) jobs from October 2019. The Government super-sector regained 2,900 jobs in October (1.3 percent) to a total of 223,800 but is lower by 13,000 jobs (-5.5%) over the year. The local government (4,600, 3.4 percent) segment continues to regain positions making up for a large federal government employment (-1,600) decline from the Census completion. State government (-100, -0.2 percent) had a smaller job loss in October.

The Government super-sector includes all federal, state and local employment, including public education and Native American casino employment located on tribal land.

Nine of the ten major industry super-sectors had employment gains in October:

• Trade, Transportation & Utilities +4,400, 1.6 percent, 282,900
• Leisure and Hospitality +3,600, 2.8 percent, 132,100
• Government +2,900, 1.3 percent, 223,800
• Other Services +1,200, 2.1 percent, 57,500
• Financial Activities +800, 0.7percent, 120,300
• Professional and Business Services +500, 0.2 percent, 214,200
• Information +400, 1.4 percent, 30,000
• Manufacturing +400, 0.3 percent, 156,300
• Educational and Health Services +300, 0.1 percent, 325,500

One industry supersector underwent a decline.

• Construction and Mining -400, -0.7 percent, 57,600

The Connecticut Business & Industry Association, the state's largest business organization, responded to the release of the new job numbers, called for greater compliance with COVID-19 guidelines to protect the state's coronavirus jobs recovery.

CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima said employers have now recovered two-thirds of the 291,300 jobs lost in March and April.

"Our recovery rate is now 66 percent, which is the best of the New England states and well above the national average of 54 percent," DiPentima said."That's a testament to how the state has navigated the pandemic. However, this recovery is a fragile one, and we cannot afford to drop our guard."

He said employers also are "extremely concerned" about the winter months, as coronavirus cases surge across the state and the country.

"We cannot stress enough how important it is for everyone in the state to follow pandemic guidelines," he said. "That includes wearing a mask in public, following social distance rules, and washing your hands frequently."