Connecticut employers added an estimated 100 jobs in March, a modest rebound after February’s losses, while the state’s jobless rate rose.
Connecticut employers added an estimated 100 jobs in March, a modest rebound after February’s losses, while the state’s unemployment rate edged up to 4.8%, according to data released by the Connecticut Department of Labor.
The March gains follow a revised loss of 4,000 jobs in February, when the unemployment rate rose to 4.7%. In January, the state added 4,200 jobs.
Health care, manufacturing and construction led March’s job growth. Construction employment has climbed above 65,000 jobs, an 18-year high, according to state officials.
Despite the job gains, Connecticut’s labor force shrank by 7,900 people in March, contributing to the uptick in the unemployment rate. Unemployment benefit claims and trust fund payouts remained consistent with last year, labor officials said.
Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said the state’s job market continues to track national trends, with slower hiring and reduced worker movement.
Meanwhile, Patrick J. Flaherty, DOL’s director of research, said the labor market is stabilizing after a period of unusually low unemployment, with gains concentrated in sectors such as health care and construction.
Other sectors posting gains in March included “other services,” while declines were reported in administrative and support services, retail trade and information.
Administrative and support services — which includes temporary workers — may be down due to cautious hiring or worker shortages, the agency said.
