Connecticut employers hired 11,500 workers in July — the best in three years — yet the state’s jobless rate inched up to 8.1 percent, state labor authorities say.
July’s job gains mark the fifth monthly job increase in a row and the sixth monthly gain in 2013, the state Labor Department said Friday. Nonfarm jobs have now increased by 23,100, or 1.4 percent, since July 2012.
June’s rate was revised down a tenth of a percentage point, to 8 percent, on more complete information. The unemployment rate had held steady at 8 percent for the five prior consecutive months.
“Excluding May 2010, when jobs were boosted by temporary Census employment, this month’s nonfarm job gain is the best so far during this recovery which began in February 2010,” said Andy Condon, Director of the Office of Research. “Improvements were seen across most of Connecticut’s industry sectors. However, our sample-based monthly employment estimates can be volatile, and we advise looking at trends over longer periods of time. Even on this basis we are seeing substantial improvement over last year. If this level of growth continues, we should see improvements in the state’s unemployment rate in the near future.”
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