Connecticut lost 3,400 jobs in December

The Connecticut Department of Labor reported a statewide loss of 3,400 jobs in December, a slight 0.2% drop from the revised 3,400 decrease in November. This marked the second consecutive month of job losses after six straight months of gains.

Compared with last year, the state has recorded the loss of 102,700 positions. November”™s estimated job loss of 1,600 was revised downward by 1,800 jobs.

Private sector employment fell by 1,000 jobs to 1,372,900 in December and is lower by 84,200 jobs from one year earlier. The data report noted that delivery services saw a smaller hiring increase than usual during December because they had increased staff earlier in the year due to rising demand for delivery services during the pandemic. The government supersector lost 2,400 jobs last month to a level of 217,900 and is now down by 18,500 jobs over the year.

Within Fairfield County, the Danbury area recorded a decrease of 700 jobs (a 1% drop) in December, while the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk corridor was down by 1,200 positions, a 0.3% dip.

“While the second month of job declines is disappointing, the details reveal underlying resilience in the economy,” said Patrick Flaherty, acting director of the Office of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor. “The largest December declines were in industries directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic such as accommodations and food service. On the other hand, manufacturing, construction and finance each increased in December.”