CT recovers 60% of jobs lost to pandemic; adds 17,000 jobs in September

The Connecticut Department of Labor reported the state gained 17,000 net jobs in September, a 1.1% uptick after a revised 21,900 August increase. However, year-over-year employment in the state fell by 103,200 positions, a 6.1% decline and now holds at 1,585,100 seasonally adjusted.

Private sector employment increased by 14,700 to 1,359,600 jobs over the month in September, a 1.1% rise, but this level is down by 90,900 jobs since September 2019. The government supersector added 2,300 net jobs in September to a total of 225,500, a 1% increase, but is lower by 12,300 jobs over the year. Local governments brought in 8,300 jobs to offset the declines in state government jobs (-5,700) and the winding down of U.S. Census jobs (-300).

Within Fairfield County, the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk corridor led the state with 6,000 net jobs in September, a 1.7% increase, while the greater Danbury area shed 500 positions for a 0.7% loss.

“Even with overall job gains slower than in the previous four months, Connecticut has now recovered more than 60% of the 291,300 jobs lost during the March-April 2020 onset of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Patrick Flaherty, acting director of the Office of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor. “Wholesale trade and retail trade are more than 90% and 70% recovered, respectively.”