WESTON, CT — Unemployment rose in all three towns in September, according to data released Monday by the Connecticut Department of Labor. Weston's rate climbed to 4.2 percent from 2.9 percent in August, Easton's to 5.6 percent from 4.4 percent and Redding's to 4.9 percent from 3.7 percent.
Weston and Redding stayed below Connecticut's rate, which held at 5.1 percent for a second straight month, while Easton's rate was above it. The state's rate has now topped the national rate of 4.2 percent for nine consecutive months.
Together, the three towns had 647 unemployed residents in September, up from 474 in August, according to August estimates published last month by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Weston, 222 of 5,245 labor force participants were unemployed, compared with 150 of 5,160 in August. In Easton, 220 of 3,962 labor force participants were unemployed, compared with 171 of 3,900 in August. In Redding, 205 of 4,197 labor force participants were unemployed, compared with 153 of 4,135 in August.
The town figures come from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program and are not seasonally adjusted. On that same unadjusted basis, the statewide rate in September was 5.1 percent, with 96,521 of Connecticut's 1,907,124 labor force participants out of work.
Weston's 4.2 percent rate was lower than in 100 towns and higher than in 55. Easton's 5.6 percent rate was lower than in 17 towns and higher than in 146. Redding's 4.9 percent rate was lower than in 42 towns and higher than in 122.
Easton's 5.6 percent was among the higher rates in the region. Nearby towns' rates included Wilton (4.4 percent), Ridgefield (4.5 percent), Bethel (4.6 percent), Newtown (4.6 percent), Westport (4.7 percent), Monroe (4.7 percent), Fairfield (5.1 percent) and Trumbull (5.2 percent).
Statewide, town rates ranged from 2.8 percent in Warren to 8.5 percent in Waterbury.
Weston's rate was 2.9 percent in September 2025, so it is up 1.3 percentage points over the year. Easton's rate was 3.6 percent in September 2025, so it is up 2 percentage points over the year. Redding's rate was 3.5 percent in September 2025, so it is up 1.4 percentage points over the year. Last year, rates in all three towns also rose from August to September: Weston's from 2.6 percent to 2.9 percent, Easton's from 3.2 percent to 3.6 percent and Redding's from 3.1 percent to 3.5 percent.
The three towns are part of the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury labor market area, which added 1,200 jobs in September, a 0.3 percent increase, to 415,800. The area is up 5,200 jobs, or 1.3 percent, from a year earlier.
Connecticut's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in September, the same as in August, the department said. A year earlier the rate was 4.2 percent.
The state's employers added 1,400 jobs in September, a 0.1 percent increase, bringing nonfarm employment to 1,731,600. The department said that's a new all-time high. Over the year, the state has gained 15,200 jobs, or 0.9 percent.
Last month's report had put August's job loss at 300. With Monday's revision, the department now says the state lost 600 jobs that month.
Six of the state's 10 major industry sectors added jobs in September. Education and health services led with 2,200, followed by manufacturing with 900 and trade, transportation and utilities with 800.
Professional and business services lost the most, 2,700 jobs. Other services lost 600 and information lost 400. Construction and mining was unchanged.
"Payroll jobs hit a new all-time high in September. Manufacturing has added more jobs than any other industry so far this year and construction remains at its highest level since May 2008," Patrick Flaherty, director of the Office of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor, said in a statement. "The unemployment rate has been stable since late spring and unemployment insurance claims are below last year's level."
First-time unemployment claims averaged 1,842 a week in September, down 64.9 percent from September 2025, the department said.
Private sector average hourly earnings rose 2.1 percent over the year to $40.06. That trailed inflation: the national consumer price index was up 3.7 percent over the same period.
The labor department's monthly comparison of state and national unemployment rates shows Connecticut's seasonally adjusted rate at 5.1 percent in both August and September.
The state's rate climbed through the first half of the year, from 4.5 percent in January to a peak of 5.2 percent in June and July. It then eased to 5.1 percent in August and held there in September.
The national rate moved the other way last month. The U.S. rate rose to 4.2 percent in September from 4.1 percent in August, its first increase since February, according to federal figures in the state's comparison.
As a result, the gap between Connecticut and the nation narrowed to nine-tenths of a percentage point in September, down from a full point in August. The gap was widest in July, at 1.1 points.
Connecticut's rate has been higher than the national rate in every month of 2026, starting in January at 4.5 percent compared with 4.3 percent. A year ago, the state's rate was lower than the nation's: 4.1 percent compared with 4.3 percent in August 2025, and 4.2 percent compared with 4.4 percent in September 2025.
The comparison has no figures for October 2025. They weren't produced because of the 2025 federal government shutdown.
| Month (2026) | Connecticut | U.S. | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.5 percent | 4.3 percent | 0.2 points |
| February | 4.7 percent | 4.4 percent | 0.3 points |
| March | 4.8 percent | 4.3 percent | 0.5 points |
| April | 5.0 percent | 4.3 percent | 0.7 points |
| May | 5.1 percent | 4.3 percent | 0.8 points |
| June | 5.2 percent | 4.2 percent | 1.0 points |
| July | 5.2 percent | 4.1 percent | 1.1 points |
| August | 5.1 percent | 4.1 percent | 1.0 points |
| September | 5.1 percent | 4.2 percent | 0.9 points |
State and national rates are seasonally adjusted; town rates are not, so direct comparisons should be made with caution. All figures are preliminary and subject to revision. The department will release its preliminary October report on Thursday, Nov. 19.
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