Connecticut Unemployment Declines

Posted on August 31, 2009

Even though the state continued to lose jobs last month, the Connecticut unemployment rate declined.

During July, the state saw its unemployment rate decrease from 7.9 percent to 7.8 percent, which is lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent. Prior to July, Connecticut hadn’t seen its unemployment rate decrease since September 2008, when it went from 6.1 percent to 6 percent.

Connecticut had a total non-farm employment of 1,633,400 workers during July, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 1,636,200 workers during June and a 3.9 percent decrease from last year.

Only one industry managed to add jobs when compared to last year. The leisure and hospitality industry employed 139,300 workers during July, up from 136,200 workers during June and a 1.2 percent increase from last year.

On a month-to-month basis, the leisure and hospitality industry added 3,100 jobs and the professional and business services industry added 900 jobs. The mining and logging industry employed 700 workers during July, the same as during June.

Not surprisingly, the construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. That industry employed 50,700 workers during July, down from 50,900 workers during June and a 21.9 percent decrease from last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in jobs include: