North Branford Unemployment Lowers to 7.7 Percent

North Branford's latest unemployment rate is lower than it was for the month of July, but the shift was only a slight improvement in the town's overall joblessness figures.

According to the latest figures released by the Connecticut Department of Labor, North Branford's unemployment rate for August was 7.7 percent.

In July, the town's unemployment rate sat at 7.8 percent.

Additionally, the department's figures showed the reported labor force in North Branford also lowered over the same period: from 1,632 in July to 1,607 in August.

State, National Unemployment Rate

In Connecticut, the pool of jobless people last month held steady to 9.2 percent overall. Nationally, the United State's unemployment rate is 8.2 percent.

Locally, East Haven's unemployment rate is 10 percent, Branford's is 7.9 percent and North Haven sits at 8.7 percent.

A PDF of the state's August unemployment report for all towns is attached to this article.

North Branford Numbers

North Branford's lowest unemployment rate of the year so far was 6.2 percent in April. It rose to 6.5 percent in May, was 7.0 percent in June — and the town began the year with an unemployment rate of 8.0 percent in January.

In 2011, North Branford's annual average unemployment rate was 7.7 percent. In 2010 it was 8.0 percent.

The town's highest reported unemployment rate over the last two years was in January 2011, when 9.3 percent of North Branford was out of work. It's lowest came in April of this year at 6.2 percent.