Connecticut’s six-month string of jobs gains was broken in August, but the jobless rate held at 6.6 percent, labor authorities say.
The state Labor Department said Thursday Connecticut shed 3,600 jobs last month, mostly in local government. However, the private sector added workers.
The agency also said July’s nonfarm jobs gain, originally pegged at 2,400, was revised lower, to just 1,000 jobs. Unemployment was 6.6 percent in July.
A year ago, Connecticut’s jobless rate was 7.2 percent.
The U.S. unemployment rate in August dipped to 6.1 percent.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy immediately weighed in on the state job results.
“For the seventh consecutive month, we are seeing the private sector do what we need it to do – add jobs,” Malloy said in a statement. “The unemployment rate is at a five-year low, and we’ve added nearly 60,000 private sector jobs since 2011. All of these are positive signs of progress but we still have more work to do. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – until every resident who wants a job has one, our work is not done.”
