Unemployment remained steady in Connecticut in September, even though the number of jobs and the labor force decreased, according to the most recent Connecticut Labor Situation report.
The report, which was released on Dec. 10, found that nonfarm payrolls across the state decreased by 5,700, or 0.3%, and the number of nonfarm workers declined by 5,400 in September. Unemployment remained steady at 3.8%, where it has been for the past five months.
In total, there are 1.7 million nonfarm jobs in Connecticut, as of September, up 4,500 jobs since last year.
“While monthly numbers fluctuate, September’s report may signal that Connecticut’s economy is feeling federal policy changes,” Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Commissioner Dante Bartolomeo said in a press release about the report. “Declines in the state’s labor force and September declines in Health Care and Social Assistance jobs suggest that immigration policy and federal funding cuts are affecting the labor market.”
In September, 30,700 people filed for unemployment, which is slightly higher than the previous month, according to the press release.
Health Care and Social Assistance jobs decreased by 1,700 in September. This is the state’s largest industry sector.
However, some industries have expanded. The number of Construction and Mining jobs increased by 600, or 1%, to a total of 63,500 jobs in the state. Government and Leisure and Hospitality jobs remained steady.
“While there are some positive takeaways from the September data, overall, this is a weak report,” CTDOL Director of Research Patrick Flaherty said in the press release. “Connecticut is joining the national trend towards slower job growth. In this market it takes longer for job seekers to find a job—and they have more competition for what’s out there. This is consistent with national trends.”
Some Republicans are blaming state officials, not changes in federal policy or national trends.
“The Lamont administration’s description of this as a ‘weak’ jobs report is a huge understatement,” a statement from Senators Stephen Harding (Brookfield), Henri Martin (Bristol), Ryan Fazio (Greenwich), and Rob Sampson (Wolcott) said. “This report is a blaring neon sign: Connecticut is not growing. Connecticut is lagging. We need significant tax relief asap, and that must include property tax relief. We need to get the hidden taxes taken off of electric bills. We need to eliminate unfunded government mandates.”
Usually, September labor market reports are released in October. However, the release of this report was delayed due to the government shutdown.
The October and November 2025 jobs data reports will be released on Jan. 6, according to the CTDOL.
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