- Connecticut makes modest job gains in April as the unemployment rate falls to 8.1 percent
- Average weekly unemployment claims fall sharply from March
- Average work week increases slightly compared to previous year as wages drop
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
Connecticut saw a modest net gain in new jobs in April and a reduction in its unemployment rate, according to data from the Connecticut Department of Labor.
The state’s unemployment rate fell from 8.3 percent in March to 8.1 percent, and remained relatively flat compared to the 8.6 percent unemployment rate in April 2020 at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the DOL said an uptick in job postings and openings may hint at a more robust labor recovery later this year, and average weekly unemployment claims plummeted from 10,553 in March to 4,609.
- Connecticut had a net gain of 500 jobs in April, with a total of 1.58 million positions
- The state has recovered 60 percent of the 292,400 jobs lost during the pandemic
- Six supersectors saw net job growth in April, including 3,600 new jobs in professional and business services, 1,800 in leisure and hospitality, and 1,100 in government
- There were net losses of 4,100 jobs in education and health services; 2,300 in trade, transportation, and utilities; 700 in financial activities; and 600 in manufacturing
- The pandemic recovery has resulted in the largest job gains in a 12-month period in state history
- The average private sector work week in April rose one-tenth of an hour compared to the previous year to 34.2 hours, while the average hourly pay fell $1.28 to $33.69
