Connecticut Jobless Rate Hits 5.2%, Tying 4 States for Nation's Highest
Updated
Updated · Hartford Courant · Aug 23
Connecticut Jobless Rate Hits 5.2%, Tying 4 States for Nation's Highest
3 articles · Updated · Hartford Courant · Aug 23
Summary
Connecticut’s unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in June, well above the 4.1% national rate and level with California, Oregon and Washington for the highest in the country.
Business leaders said the increase reflects slow hiring rather than mass layoffs, with weak demand in consulting, accounting, legal, finance and insurance leaving skilled workers and recent graduates unemployed longer.
That mismatch persists even with nearly 90,000 open jobs statewide, including about 15,000 in healthcare, 8,000 in manufacturing and more than 15,000 in restaurants, hotels and retail.
Gov. Ned Lamont’s 40-member Connecticut Careers Pathway Commission is drafting a five-year workforce plan by Dec. 31 to better align training with employer needs, including AI-driven changes.
The labor strain is feeding a broader affordability and election debate as Connecticut raises its minimum wage to $17.48 on Jan. 1 and state agencies continue paying heavy overtime to cover hard-to-fill roles.