The number of payroll jobs in the state declined by 6,500 due to a labor strike and one-time restructuring event. Unemployment also rose slightly.
WETHERSFIELD, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Labor, or CTDOL, has issued its jobs report for the month of May.
CTDOL Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo described last month’s labor situation as “mixed.”
During May, the number of payroll jobs declined by 6,500. This was largely due to a labor strike and a one-time retail restructuring event, according to CTDOL officials.
April job numbers also decreased to a job gain of 4,800 from an estimated 6,900. The state’s unemployment rate reportedly rose by 0.1% to 3.8%.
According to Bartolomeo, “May had some ups and downs.”
She did note that it wasn’t all negative.
“One of the bright spots is that the labor force is fully recovered from pandemic losses and at an all-time high – good news for employers who have about 70,000 jobs available in Connecticut right now,” Bartolomeo said.
She reiterated that Connecticut’s economy remains steady and is moderating after the large gains post-pandemic.
“The agency continues to monitor national and international events for economic impacts,” Bartolomeo added.
Connecticut’s labor force now has 1,960,143 workers, which went up about 20,000 since last year. The last time that the labor force was this high was November 2019, according to CTDOL.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics considers the labor force to consist of anyone who is currently employed or looking for work.
The unemployment rate goes up when more workers enter the market looking for a job, but this doesn’t indicate a rise in the number of people receiving unemployment benefits.
CTDOL Director of Research Patrick Flaherty said that there are no major ongoing disruptions to the state’s job market.
“However, May’s job numbers were impacted by some one-off events that we don’t expect will continue,” Flaherty said. “The survey happened during a labor strike – those payroll numbers should bounce back next month.”
The director of research added several more factors that contributed to the mixed statistics for May.
“There was a large retail loss due to a one-time restructuring, and we had a wet, cold spring, which slowed some seasonal sectors,” Flaherty said. “The economy has slowed but is steady and growing.”
The top lines from the report include that the labor strike was resolved and those manufacturing jobs should show recovery by the end of this month. The retail restructuring was also a one-time event, although those are permanent losses.
Nationally, the federal government is down 400 jobs since January after losing 100 more jobs in May.
In Connecticut, the unemployment rate has now been below the national rate for 29 consecutive months. It is currently 0.4% below the national rate.
Lastly, hourly earnings are up 3.2%, above the 2.4% inflation rate, and average weekly unemployment claims are down 27% from last month but up 4% from May 2024.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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