The Connecticut Department of Labor (DOL)’s July Jobs Report states that around 700 non-farm jobs were added in July, and 6,100 jobs were added in June, while unemployment remained at 3.8%.
Previously, the DOL reported that there had been 6,300 new jobs added to payrolls in June, but that number was revised on Aug. 18. The DOL regularly revises its labor reports as more information is processed, according to a press release from the Department.
The unemployment rate in Connecticut has remained consistent for three months in a row, according to the report. However, the labor force in the state is also getting smaller: 2,500 people left in July and 3,700 people left in June, according to the press release. Unemployment claims are also slightly down, with only 31,000 filings in July.
“Labor force numbers regularly fluctuate as people retire and new workers enter employment,” the press release explains. “These months of decline may be a normal fluctuation for a state with an aging population; these declines may also be related to federal immigration policy. (DOL) will need more months of data to determine any larger impact on the construction, restaurant, hospitality, and other industries.”
Job growth is not universal.
The overall number of jobs in the finance industry, state government, and professional and business services increased. However, trade, transportation and utilities, construction and mining, leisure and hospitality, and education and health service jobs all decreased. The number of manufacturing and federal government jobs remained steady in July.
“Healthcare & Social Assistance, Connecticut’s fastest growing industry sector, lost 900 jobs last month (seasonally adjusted),” the press release states. “The not seasonally adjusted data suggests the losses were on the social assistance side. This may be a normal fluctuation for this time of year. (DOL) continues to monitor this sector due to the federal policy shift that includes canceling social assistance contracts.”
Connecticut is doing well compared to the rest of the country, by many indicators. The national unemployment rate is at 4.2%, which means that this is the 31st month in a row that Connecticut has a lower unemployment rate, according to the report. The state’s labor force participation is at 64.7%—more than 2% higher than the national rate, the press release states.
“With around 80,000 jobs available in the state, there is opportunity for job seekers,” DOL Commissioner Dante Bartolomeo said in the press statement. “After the rapid post-pandemic growth, it’s taking longer to find a job than it did a few years ago, but (DOL) has resources to help. I highly recommend job seekers get assistance from experts at the American Job Centers—they can help job seekers at any career level build a solid resume, navigate software and AI systems that screen resumes, and learn how to use the tools to find and land a new job.”
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I’m sorry but if 31,000 people signed up for unemployment with 80,000 jobs available our states unemployed should all be working. Unemployment applications should also double as employment applications and the pool of candidates should be mandated to work.