Connecticut lost 2,500 jobs in December, and the state’s unemployment rate experienced a slight uptick during the holiday month, according to data released Monday by the state Department of Labor (DOL).
That represented the second consecutive month of job losses in the state. The DOL also revised November’s 500 job gains downward to 100 job losses.
Even still, Connecticut added an estimated 22,700 jobs in 2023, the DOL said.
That was behind the 26,800 jobs the state added in 2022.
“December was not a growth month; however, Connecticut’s economy remains strong and stable…,” said DOL Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo. “Overall, Connecticut’s unemployment rate remains very low and employers continue to hire across industry sectors.”
Connecticut ended December with a 3.8% unemployment rate, up from 3.6% the previous month. The U.S. unemployment rate is 3.7%.
Connecticut had about 75,000 job postings in December, DOL said.
The DOL’s Patrick Flaherty, director of research, said it’s important to look at overall data rather than focus on a single report, as “economic recoveries are always uneven.”
“Going into 2024, as long as the national economy continues to avoid recession, we expect Connecticut’s economy to continue to show solid growth,” Flaherty said.
The DOL said it had about 30,000 weekly unemployment filers.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Connecticut had 85,000 nonfarm job openings in November, a 3% drop from October.
Also, according to the federal data, Connecticut had 16,000 nonfarm layoffs in November, down 9% from October.
Three of the ten major industry supersectors increased jobs in December 2023, while six declined, and the manufacturing supersector was unchanged.
The industry supersectors that increased employment included:
- Leisure and Hospitality +1,200, 0.8%, 156,500
- Other Services +1,100, 1.7%, 64,100
- Government +400, 0.2%, 233,600
The six industry supersectors that decreased jobs in December 2023 were:
- Educational and Health Services -2,000, -0.6%, 356,500
- Professional and Business Services -1,300, -0.6%, 220,600
- Construction and Mining -800, -1.3%, 60,500
- Trade, Transportation & Utilities -600, -0.2%, 300,700
- Financial Activities -300, -0.3%, 113,600
- Information -200, -0.6%, 31,300
