Connecticut’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 6.3 percent in April because of a 1,500-job increase in government-sector employment, while the private sector posted a net loss of 300 jobs, the state Department of Labor reported Tuesday.
“This was a relatively quiet month in the job market with mixed results across the state’s major industry sectors,” said Andy Condon, director of the DOL’s Office of Research. “Continuing job growth combined with improving wages appears to be attracting more job seekers into the labor market.”
With 4,988 new job seekers, the state’s labor pool expanded for the 19th consecutive month to 1,920,837 persons, a record high. The number of unemployed residents was 120,089, a drop of 7,019 over the year.
Average private sector weekly pay was $962.62, up 2.4 percent from a year ago, while hours dipped slightly from 33.6 to 33.5.
Four of the ten industry “supersectors” showed employment increases: government (1,500 jobs), manufacturing (1,400,) construction and mining (1,300), and education and health services (200.)
Shrinking were professional and business services (-2,100 jobs), leisure and hospitality (-700) and trade, transportation and utilities (-400.) The financial activities, other services and information supersectors were unchanged.
The state now has recovered 93,200 jobs (78.3 percent) of the 119,000 seasonably adjusted nonfarm jobs lost during the recession of March 2008 to February 2010.
The Department of Labor says Connecticut needs another 25,800 nonfarm jobs for an employment recovery.
April was an outlier month as the private sector has been regaining jobs, while the government sector has continued to shrink in Connecticut. The private sector has recovered 88.1 percent of its lost jobs.
Because they are owned by sovereign tribal nations, employment statistics from the state’s two casinos, Foxwoods Resorts Casino and Mohegan Sun, are included in the government sector.
Since the end of the recession, the state has posted job gains in 43 months, losses in 18 months and no change in one month.
