Connecticut added 2,100 jobs in November after losing 700 positions in October, while the state’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 4% and remained below the national rate of 4.6%, according to labor market data released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor.
The October and November reports were delayed and combined due to the federal government shutdown. September job losses were revised to 6,800, compared with an earlier estimate of 5,700.
There is no unemployment rate available for October. Connecticut’s jobless rate had held at 3.8% for five consecutive months through September.
Nonfarm employment totaled about 1.71 million jobs in November and was up 1,800 positions from November 2024.
Six of 10 major industry sectors gained jobs or were unchanged in November. Education and health services added 1,400 jobs, leisure and hospitality gained 800, and construction rose by 600, pushing the sector to its highest employment level since August 2008.
Manufacturing added 100 jobs, while financial activities were flat. Job losses were reported in information, professional and business services, trade, transportation and utilities and other services.
Labor officials said the data reflect a more competitive job market after several years of strong growth, with hiring slowing late in 2025.
“After several years of strong job growth that created a job seekers’ market, the economy is now more competitive — it takes job seekers longer to find employment than it has in the recent past,” said Department of Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo.
Looking ahead to 2026, state labor economists expect modest growth if the U.S. economy avoids a downturn.
Connecticut’s labor force participation rate remained at 64%, above the national rate of 62.5%, but the state’s labor force has declined by about 19,600 since January.
The department noted that federal immigration policy could affect workforce trends, as nearly 23% of Connecticut workers were born outside the United States.
Initial unemployment claims totaled just under 30,000, up from about 25,000 at the same point last year.
