Connecticut’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.6% as it added 2,900 jobs in July, according to the state Department of Labor.
The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since September 2019.
In June, the state lost 2,500 jobs, but it has added 19,100 jobs so far this year.
Commissioner Dante Bartolomeo said economic indicators remain positive, and the unemployment weekly filing rate is low.
“Employers have about 90,000 jobs available in the state — it’s a good economic climate for job seekers with employers hiring for a wide variety of jobs and skill levels,” Bartolomeo said.
Seven sectors are at or above pre-pandemic job levels, and the health care sector is back in “job creation mode, a good sign for the economy,” said Patrick Flaherty, the DOL’s research director.
However, he noted that the embrace of virtual meeting technology has led to a shift away from corporate travel, which may be permanent, and is affecting the accommodations and food services sector.
Connecticut has recovered 98.2% of jobs lost due to the pandemic shutdown, with the private sector just 100 jobs short of 99.9%, which is considered a full recovery, according to the DOL.
The largest gains in July occurred in the health care and social assistance industry, which added 2,200 jobs. The construction sector added 1,400 jobs and the private education sector added 800.
The industries that lost the most jobs were administrative and support services, down 1,600; manufacturing, down 700; and state government, down 200.
