Connecticut Adds 500 May Jobs as 1,300 Government Hires Mask 5.1% Unemployment
Updated
Updated · yankeeinstitute.org · Jun 25
Connecticut Adds 500 May Jobs as 1,300 Government Hires Mask 5.1% Unemployment
2 articles · Updated · yankeeinstitute.org · Jun 25
Summary
Connecticut added 500 jobs in May, but the gain came entirely from 1,300 government hires—mostly local schools returning from spring break—while private-sector payrolls fell by 800.
The weaker underlying picture showed up in unemployment, which rose to 5.1% from 5.0% in April and topped the 4.3% U.S. rate for a fifth straight month.
A shrinking workforce deepened that strain: Connecticut's labor force was down about 37,700 from a year earlier, with employed residents falling by roughly 60,900 even as initial jobless claims stayed low.
Most industries weakened in May, with professional and business services down 1,000 jobs and trade, transportation and utilities down 700; only three of 10 major sectors added jobs.
Over the past year, private payrolls were still up 8,400—driven largely by health care's 7,200-job gain—but average private-sector weekly earnings rose just 2.2%, trailing 4.2% inflation.