Updated
Updated · CBIA · Aug 21
Connecticut Adds 2,800 July Payroll Jobs as Unemployment Holds at 5.2%
Updated
Updated · CBIA · Aug 21

Connecticut Adds 2,800 July Payroll Jobs as Unemployment Holds at 5.2%

3 articles · Updated · CBIA · Aug 21

Summary

  • July payrolls rose for a fifth straight month, up 2,800 and lifting Connecticut’s 12-month job gain to 13,800, even as the state’s unemployment rate stayed at 5.2%.
  • Household data told a weaker story: total employment fell for a seventh consecutive month to its lowest non-pandemic level since 2014, while the labor force shrank by 6,300 in July.
  • Job openings climbed 4,552, or 5.6%, to 86,238, underscoring employers’ hiring difficulties despite broad demand across sectors and occupations.
  • Education and health services led July gains with 2,500 jobs added, while trade, transportation and utilities lost 1,100; all five major labor market areas still posted payroll increases.
  • Over 12 months, Connecticut’s labor force has dropped by 51,400 and total employment by 73,600, a disconnect officials and business leaders tie to aging workers, slower population growth and reduced immigration.

Insights

Why are Connecticut employers adding thousands of jobs while the state experiences its largest workforce exodus in decades?
If over 86,000 jobs remain open in Connecticut, what hidden barriers are keeping so many residents out of the workforce?