Connecticut’s labor shortage has eased a bit, 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 October, 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 10.33 million jobs open in the United States at the end of October, down from 10.69 million open jobs in September, BLS data shows.
In October, the number of job openings decreased in 17 states, increased in two states, and was little changed in 31 states and the District of Columbia, BLS data shows.
In addition, an estimated 28,000 Connecticut workers quit their jobs in October, BLS data shows, down from 36,000 in September.
The number of October hires in Connecticut was 45,000, down from 55,000 in September.
Connecticut companies also collectively laid off 13,000 workers in October, up from 9,000 layoffs in September.
Last week, the state Department of Labor released data showing Connecticut added 6,200 jobs in November, shrinking the state’s unemployment rate to 4.2% from 4.3% in October
However, labor officials offered a few caveats to what appeared to be a positive labor report. First, DOL said it revised October’s 500 job gains downward to a loss of 1,600 positions.
Second, the November jobs number showed an outsized gain in the government sector, which added 2,900 positions in the month. Part of that gain was due to the timing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ survey period, officials said. The survey week ran through Election Day and includes poll workers who are on municipal payrolls for a single day, officials said.
Overall, Connecticut still has only recovered 90.9% of the 289,400 jobs lost during March and April 2020, when the pandemic temporarily shut down significant parts of the state’s economy. The private sector is 93.2% recovered from the April 2020 COVID employment trough.
