Strong Jobs Year Ends Quietly

01.25.2016
Economy

Connecticut added just 300 jobs in December, quietly closing out a year that saw 22,600 new positions, the state’s second-strongest performance since the end of the recession.
There were eight months of gains and four months of losses in 2015, according to the Department of Labor report released today. The state added 25,000 jobs in 2014, the best year since the recession ended in March 2010.

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Almost six years after the end of the recession, Connecticut’s recovery continues to trail the rest of the country.

The unemployment rate for December rose one-tenth of a point to 5.2%, down from 6.3% a year ago.
“It’s certainly not a spectacular report,” said CBIA economist Pete Gioia, “but it is a positive report.
“Basically, we also saw fairly weak labor force growth, which certainly affected the unemployment rate.”
Nearly six years after the end of the recession, Connecticut has regained 89.7% of the  119,000 jobs lost during the economic downturn.
Nine of the state’s main industry sectors posted gains in 2015, led by transportation and public utilities, which added 4,700 new jobs. Government was the only losing sector for the year, shedding 400 positions.
“It’s important that Connecticut not only continue job gains but even accelerate them,” Gioia said.
“We really need to make sure that we make the right public policy moves to encourage companies to invest and add jobs.”
Other services added 800 jobs in December, the best of the six sectors that grew last month, followed by leisure and hospitality with 300 positions.
Information, professional business services, and trade, transportation, and utilities all posted 200-job gains, while financial activities added 100 jobs.
Education and health services, the largest of the state’s sectors, dropped 500 jobs in December.
Manufacturing and construction and mining each lost 400 jobs, followed by government (-200).
The New Haven labor market area gained 900 jobs last month, the only area with gains.
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford lost 1,800 jobs, followed by Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk (-500), and Norwich-New London-Westerly (-400).

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