Written by Davis Dunavin and Eileen McNamara.
When it comes to jobs, Newtown has more to offer than many other towns in the state. The unemployment rate here is a full 2.2% lower than the state average, according to data released this week by the Department of Labor.
Despite the addition of 7,400 new jobs in April and May of this year Connecticut’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8 percent. Though the rate has remained unchanged for the past four months, labor officials said the jobs picture in Connecticut is looking up.
“With the exception of a storm [that] impacted February, Connecticut has been experiencing consistent job growth so far this year,” said Andy Condon, Director of the Office of Research for the state’s labor department. “The upward turn in labor force participation, after 35 straight months of decline, may indicate increased confidence in labor market conditions. However, there are still headwinds ahead. Federal budget sequester cuts could hinder employment growth possibilities throughout the rest of 2013.”
In Newtown, the unemployment rate for the town’s labor force of approximately 14,501, or 5.9%. That's up from 5.5% last month, but on par with the average unemployment rate in the town for 2013 so far, which has hovered around 6%.
Since the Great Recession ended, Connecticut has recovered 58,600 jobs, or 48.3 percent of the 121,200 seasonally adjusted jobs that were lost between March of 2008 to February of 2010, labor officials reported.
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