Connecticut labor officials say the state’s jobless rate shrank to 3.8 percent last month thanks largely to a revision to its March jobs estimate and the addition of 300 new jobs in April.
The state Department of Labor (DOL) last month said the state shed 1,300 jobs in March. On Thursday it reversed course and said the state actually added 300 jobs in March. The state gained another 300 net jobs in April.
The latest DOL data is good news for the state’s job market after it recorded 2,900 job losses during the first two months of the year.
Connecticut now has almost 1.7 million seasonally adjusted jobs and an estimated 72,500 unemployed residents, down about 1,600 from March.
“With the small increase in April and the larger positive revision of March data, the 2019 job growth picture has changed from one of slight declines to slight growth,” said Andy Condon, DOL’s director research. “Annual job growth is actually stronger than last year at this time, as the first four months of 2018 were very weak.”
In April, half of Connecticut’s top 10 major industry supersectors added jobs, four declined and the information supersector remained unchanged.
Job growth was again led by professional and business services with an increase of 1,600 jobs, or an increase of 0.7 percent, for a total of 218,700 jobs. Other top industry gainers included trade, transportation and utilities, which added 700 jobs, and education and health, adding another 600 jobs.
Leisure and hospitality added 400 jobs and the other services supersector added 100 positions.
Construction and mining again led job declines, shedding 2,300 jobs, or a 3.7 percent fall, for a total of 60,500 jobs. Meantime, manufacturing lost 500 jobs and financial activities experienced a decline of 100 jobs.
The Hartford and New Haven metro areas each lost an estimated 800 jobs. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk market led regional job gains adding 300 positions.
Connecticut has recovered almost 82 percent, or 98,500, of the 120,300 seasonally adjusted jobs it lost in the 2008-2010 Great Recession.
