• Connecticut’s Employment Picture – September 2012

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Connecticut’s September 2012 total non-agricultural employment estimate, seasonally adjusted, grew 2,000 payroll jobs or 0.1% to 1,626,100. Since September 2011, the state’s job market has added 1,900 positions, or 0.1% growth. This represents the fourth monthly job gain in 2012, along with four months of losses, and one month with no change in jobs. The first nine months of 2012 have now produced job growth of 2,600 positions, which is behind last year’s pace of 8,500 jobs added through September 2011. The private sector in Connecticut added 2,900 (0.2%) jobs in September and has now increased 5,600 positions (0.4%) since September 2011. Six of Connecticut’s ten major employing industries showed job growth in September 2012, while four experienced job declines. Job-producing industries in September were led by education and health services (2,400, 0.7%). Healthcare and social assistance added the bulk of jobs here (2,300, 0.9%, while educational services posted just a slight seasonally-adjusted rise (100, 0.2%) to start the school year. The construction and mining industry was the next biggest job creating industry, gaining 800 (1.7%). Construction added all of the jobs this month (800, 1.7%) while the very small mining component was unchanged. The information industry recorded strong job gain (600, 1.9%). The other services industry increased by 500 jobs (0.8%). Financial activities groupings posted a small employment gain for the second month in a row (200, 0.2%). Finance and insurance came through with the monthly gains (200, 0.2%) whereas real estate was unaffected over the month. Leisure and hospitality (100, 0.1%) rebounded slightly from a large loss (-3,300) last month that definitely was the main contributor for the large overall nonfarm decline in Connecticut’s August job numbers. Government led job-losing industry industries in September (-900, -0.4%) with losses predominantly in local government (-900, -0.6%, includes casino jobs on the reservations), with offsetting movement apparent in state government (100, 0.2%) and federal government (-100, -0.6%). Government (-3,700, -1.6%) accounts for most of the job losses over the year and has been holding back overall job growth in this recovery. The trade, transportation, and utilities (-800, -0.3%) industry had the next biggest job shortfall in September. Retail trade gains (300, 0.2%) were not enough to counteract declines in both wholesale trade (-400, -0.6%) and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-700, -1.4%). Utilities may be negatively affected by a major merger in the state. Professional and business services dropped 600 positions (-0.3%) this month. This decline came even with a statistically significant gain in jobs from management of companies and enterprises (500, 1.9%). Modest employment losses from administrative and support services (-600, -0.8%) and professional, scientific, and technical services (-500, -0.6%) were enough to bring the industry down this month. While manufacturing experienced its second loss in a row (-300, -0.2%), the larger durable goods production sector actually had over-the-month gains (200, 0.2%) but non-durable goods production components were lower (-500, -1.3%). No job loss from any major industry exceeded 1,000 this month. Source: CTDOL

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