Connecticut’s unemployment rate fell to 3.7 % in May matching the U.S. rate for the first time since the pandemic. That’s according to the latest jobs report from the Connecticut Labor Department.
The report finds that payroll jobs in the state increased by 5,000 last month, up from a gain of 1,200 in April, said Patrick Flaherty, the Labor Department’s research director.
Private sector jobs led the gains.
“The largest increases were in accommodation and food services, which includes hotels and restaurants,” Flaherty said. “Other services, which includes everything from hair to nail salons and auto repair services, and transportation and warehousing.”
The state’s private sector has now recovered 99.9% of the jobs lost during the COVID lockdown.
In response to the report, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association said the state needs to do better. That’s because Connecticut is one of the few states yet to fully recover from the pandemic, the business group said.
