State loses 3,900 jobs in December

Connecticut nonfarm employment dropped 3,900 jobs in December, erasing the gain of 3,800 jobs in November, according to recent labor reports.

The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk area lost 2,100 jobs, while Danbury employment remained unchanged.

Statewide job losses primarily came from professional services, which may have been affected by the weather to some extent, officials from the Connecticut Department of Labor said. Administrative and support services lost 3,400 jobs during the month, primarily from  services to buildings and dwellings. Trade and transportation also lost 1,300 jobs.

On the positive side, the financial sector, an industry hard hit by the recession, gained 300 jobs and the unemployment rate continued to drop.

Though still higher than the national rate, Connecticut’s unemployment rate dropped .02 percent to 7.4 percent in December. Experts suspect the lower rate is a reflection of more people dropping out of the workforce and not a sign of job seekers finding employment.

December is the fourth consecutive month to see a drop in the unemployment rate.

The recession job recovery now stands at 49 percent with 59,400 position recovered from the 121,200 jobs lost.