The state Department of Labor is projecting that Connecticut will grow by 208,246 jobs, or 13.5%, from the second quarter of this year through Q2 of 2022. That would bring the state”™s total employment to 1,750,039.
Every occupational group is projected to add jobs through Q2 of 2022, with growth ranging between 2.9% for the architecture and engineering sector to 71.2% for food preparation and serving related.
Transportation and material moving is predicted to grow by 19.5%; personal care and service by 58.4%; and sales and related occupations by 12.5%. Along with food preparation, those four sectors represent a combined 24% of base quarter employment and 56% of projected growth, as they were hardest hit by the pandemic.
Other large occupational groups, all with employment of 100,000 or more, will realize more muted growth: office and administrative support is projected to grow by 6.8%; management by 7.4%; and education, training and library occupation by 5.6%.
The state Labor Department projects Connecticut”™s 2020 to 2022 job growth to rise at a higher rate than Massachusetts”™ 12.5% but below New York”™s 17%. The two-year projected growth rates vary in accordance with percent employment declines in the preceding two-year period.
From Q2 2018 to Q2 2020, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts recorded respective employment declines of 16.9%, 15.1% and 14.8%.
“Connecticut”™s short-term projections show that the state is well on its way to rebound from the economic downturn that began early last year,” wrote Connecticut Labor Department Economist Matthew Krzyzek. “The highest growth industries and occupations are those that were most impacted by shutdown orders and other Covid-mitigation policies.
“As the recovery continues,” Krzyzek continued, “we expect that future rounds of employment growth projections in the state will realign to more proportional growth with less drastic industry variance.”
