Recovering from State’s Historic Job Losses Requires ‘New Way of Thinking’

Connecticut’s recovery from the economic destruction caused by the coronavirus pandemic demands a new way of thinking, the state’s largest business organization said today.

CBIA president and CEO Joe Brennan called the April employment report “devastating,” noting that the 266,300 jobs lost were more than double the state’s total 2008-2010 recession losses.

Most of the April declines were in the private sector as the government sector, which lost 20,700 jobs last month, also includes employment at the state’s two casinos, which shut down March 17.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are suffering and the best remedy we have is to find ways to get them back to work as quickly and as safely as possible,” Brennan said.

Brennan called for a “dramatic reshaping” of the relationship between the state’s lawmakers and business community to lead the recovery.

“Let’s rebuild better and faster than other states,” he said. “Let’s get people back working by building a strong, vibrant private sector.

“We have an historic challenge ahead of us, one that can only be addressed successfully if we dramatically reshape the relationship between job creators and government.

“We need a new way of thinking, a collaborative approach that focuses on promoting and driving private sector growth rather than burdening employers with overregulation and unnecessary costs.

“If we don’t change our thinking and adopt new approaches, I fear many of these jobs may never return.”

CBIA is Connecticut’s largest business organization, with thousands of member companies, small and large, representing a diverse range of industries from every part of the state. For more information, please contact Joe Budd (860.244.1951).