The Latest Employment Figures For Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, CT — Here are the latest employment figures for Middletown. They are at the state average and better than the national average.

Connecticut employers added an estimated 900 jobs in last month, with private sector employment reaching a record high, according to the state Department of Labor.

In August, Middletown's employment figures were:

Labor force: 26,820

Employed: 25,797

Unemployed: 1,023

Unemployment rate: 3.8 percent

The numbers are based on the preliminary data from the CTDOL. The department has reported that private sector payrolls hit 1,484,000, though overall employment remains just below the state’s 2008 peak. July’s job gains were revised upward to 800 from an initial estimate of 700.

Connecticut’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.8 percent in August, while the national rate ticked up to 4.3 percent.

Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said state indicators remain stable despite national volatility. She noted, however, that the state’s labor force shrank by 4,100 in August, marking the third straight monthly decline.

"Labor force data fluctuations aren’t unusual; however, CTDOL is aware of increased federal immigration activity that may also impact work-authorized immigrants,” Bartolomeo said. About 20 percent of Connecticut payroll jobs are filled by workers born outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico, she added.

Patrick Flaherty, the department’s director of research, said Connecticut’s job growth remains "stable" and "sustainable." He noted that private sector payrolls are at record levels and that total employment, public and private, is only about 700 jobs shy of the all-time high reached in 2008.

The report also showed:

• Employers have about 80,000 jobs available.
• The state’s labor force participation rate is 64.6 percent, above the national rate of 62.3 percent.
• Federal government employment dropped by 100 jobs in August.
• Roughly 34,000 residents are receiving unemployment benefits, in line with pre-pandemic averages.

Here's the town-by-town breakdown: