CT Loses 1,400 Jobs: What's the Unemployment Rate in New Haven?

By Wendy Ann Mitchell (Patch Staff)

New Haven, CT — A recent report from the Connecticut Department of Labor (CT DOL) shows that Connecticut lost 1,400 jobs in May 2016.

“Connecticut’s decline of 1,400 jobs in May follows a very slow month for job growth across the country,” said Andy Condon, Director of the Office of Research. “Our labor force saw small but equal percentage declines in both residents employed and unemployed, resulting in an unchanged unemployment rate.”

The good news is that there are a number of startups and expansions in the state:

• FedEx announced it will open a new distribution hub in 2018 in Middletown and hire 500 workers.
• Primark, a fashion retailer, has opened a new store in Danbury with 220 employees.
• Big Y plans to open a new store in 2018 in Marlborough, adding 130 jobs.
• Gloucester Engineering will be moving 30 jobs in its production unit to Stonington.
• Faneuil Inc., a call center, will open in Bristol in July with 300 workers.
• Subway plans to launch a new division over the next few years at its headquarters in Milford, adding 150 employees.

The bad news is that Dattco cut 138 jobs after losing the bus service contract with a Hartford school and Boehringer Ingelheim of Ridgefield eliminated 50 jobs due to restructuring, the CT DOL reports.
What does the job market look like in your area based on the CT DOL's most recent report?

Connecticut's Department of Labor shows that New Haven has a work force of 63,848, 59,301 employed, 4,547 unemployed and an unemployment rate of 7.1 percent.

How do other towns compare?

• Cheshire: Work force of 15,527, 14,950 employed, 577 unemployed, unemployment rate is 3.7 percent

• Fairfield: Work force of 29,440, 28,044 employed, 1,396 unemployed, unemployment rate is 4.7 percent
• Hamden: Work force of 34,920, 33,164 employed, 1,756 unemployed, unemployment rate is 5.0 percent
• Middletown: Work force of 26,072, 24,677 employed, 1,395 unemployed, unemployment rate of 5.4 percent.
• North Haven: Work force of 13,290, 12,697 employed, 593 unemployed, unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.

• Stratford: Work force of 27,794, 26,096 employed, 1,698 unemployed, unemployment rate is 6.1 percent

• Wallingford: Work force of 26,079, 24,860 employed, 1,219 unemployed, unemployment rate is 4.7 percent

See the full report on the Connecticut Department of Labor's website.
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