Connecticut’s labor shortage eased a bit in January, but the number of available jobs still outpaces the number of potential workers in the state that can fill them.
Connecticut employers reported 97,000 job openings at the end of January, down from a revised 110,000 job openings a month earlier, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nationally, there were 10.8 million jobs open in the United States at the end of January, down from 11.2 million open jobs in December, BLS data shows.
At the end of January, the number of job openings decreased in 13 states and the District of Columbia, increased in three states and remained unchanged in remaning states, BLS data shows.
In addition, an estimated 34,000 Connecticut workers quit their jobs in January, BLS data shows, down from 35,000 in December.
The number of January hires in Connecticut was 51,000, up from 39,000 in December.
Connecticut companies also collectively laid off 13,000 workers in January, down from 17,000 layoffs in December.
Earlier this month, the state Department of Labor released data showing  Connecticut added 8,700 jobs in January, shrinking the state’s unemployment rate to 3.9%. The DOL also announced that Connecticut added 35,300 jobs in 2022.Â
Overall, the state has now recovered 94.6% (273,400) of the 289,100 jobs lost during the 2020 COVID lockdowns, DOL officials said.
However, the labor pool has shrunk by 25,000 workers compared to before the pandemic.Â
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