Connecticut added 2,100 jobs in November, and its unemployment rate declined to 4.7 percent, state regulators reported Thursday.
The state’s total nonfarm employment stood at a seasonally adjusted 1,679,900 last month, the state Department of Labor (CTDOL) said.
October’s original reported job decline of 7,200 also has been revised upward by 1,400 to a smaller loss of 5,800, CTDOL said.
The unemployment rate in October was 5.1 percent.
November’s declining 4.7 percent jobless rate is now seven-tenths of a point lower than it was a year ago.
The number of Connecticut’s unemployed declined by 9,500 seasonally adjusted jobs in November.
“Connecticut’s rapidly declining unemployment rate is welcome news,” said Andy Condon, CTDOL’s director of the Office of Research. “However, recent months of payroll job counts may indicate a significant slowing of the state’s job growth. While there are circumstances, such as demographic shifts, increased self-employment and growing out-of- state commuting, where these two movements can happen at the same time, we do not yet have data to support a definitive trend.”
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy echoed the view that the report is basically positive.
“We remain determined to continue to move in a direction that will encourage businesses to grow their employment base here in our state and attract out-of-state companies to move within our borders,” Malloy said in a statement. “One of the ways we are going to accomplish this is by creating more structural stability within our state finances in order to create more predictability for businesses.”
Six of the 10 job sectors showed improvement last month. Government grew by 900 jobs, but remains down 1,100 jobs over the year.The government sector includes all federal, state and local employment, including public higher education and casinos located on tribal land.
Trade, transportation, and utilities led in seasonally adjusted job growth last month, adding 1,600 jobs, despite the largest component, retail, showing no growth. Leisure and hospitality was next, adding 1,100 positions. Education and health services grew by 700 jobs, the information sector added 400 jobs and other services gained 100, but was basically flat.
The construction and mining supersector dropped off sharply, with a loss of 1,800 jobs. Manufacturing lost 300 jobs and professional and business services lost 200 jobs.
All told, the state has recovered 72 percent of the 119,100 seasonally adjusted jobs lost in the Great Recession, CTDOL said, but needs another 33,400 jobs to reach expansion. The state’s private sector has done somewhat better, recovering 86.7 percent of jobs lost in the downturn, the state said.
