Creative Commons License

Nearly 17 years later, Connecticut has almost recovered the jobs it lost in the 2008 Great Recession.

The number of people in Connecticut’s labor force grew by 30,393 from January 2024 to January 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, setting a record high of nearly 1.96 million people. 

Connecticut employers also added 1,500 jobs in January, raising total nonfarm employment to 1,717,600. From January 2024 to January 2025, Connecticut added 13,600 payroll jobs across industries.

“This was perhaps the most important CT jobs report in months,” said Fred Carstensen, professor of finance and economics at the University of Connecticut. But he warned the coming months could bring economic stagnation as a result of federal policy uncertainty.

Connecticut’s population also grew in recent months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. New estimates show Connecticut’s population grew by 32,046, or 0.88%, from July 2023 to July 2024.

Renata is the data reporter for CT Mirror. She recently graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in data journalism. For her undergraduate studies, she graduated cum laude from Pennsylvania State University with dual bachelor’s degrees in international politics and broadcast journalism, and minors in global security and Middle East studies. Renata has a background in data analysis and programming, with proficiency in Python, QGIS, and HTML, among other tools. She previously interned at the Malala Fund and has reported stories from Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Brazil. She speaks four languages and is currently learning a fifth.