Good morning! Almost 9,000 new jobs in Connecticut were gained in January. Data from the Department of Labor showed that the state private sector regained 96.9% of jobs lost during the pandemic-related shutdown in 2020. The state unemployment rate also decreased by 0.9% last year — to a low of 3.9%.
On Long Island, 2022 brought 49,100 new jobs to the regional labor market — which was 10,000 over estimates set by New York’s labor department. Statewide, private sector jobs increased by 23,600 in January.
Nationally, January saw the strongest job gains since last summer. Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
Connecticut legislators will consider a bill that will help boost police recruitment rates following a near 30% decrease in staffing. The legislation would develop a statewide campaign to better promote law enforcement as a career and employ a full-time cadet program coordinator with the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. If approved, the bill would go into effect in July — at the earliest.
The 104-year-old Norwalk construction company that built most of the Merritt Parkway will be shut down. Dan and Mike Deering are shutting down their five-generation run company in order to comfortably retire and keep the company in family hands. Most of Deering Construction assets will be auctioned off on Saturday, but the company will continue to finish three remaining projects, including construction on the Norwalk River Valley Trail. Deering is expected to fully close by late spring.
Officials questioned the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s rollout of Grand Central Madison — months before the new station opened last month. Thousands of Long Island Rail Road riders complain of longer commute times, overcrowding and inconvenient transfers. The MTA introduced enhanced services on Monday, including rerouting trains from Grand Central to Penn Station and extending the Ronkonkoma Branch to serve two additional stations.
Connecticut generated $18.4 million in adult-use and medical marijuana sales in February. This is a near $5.1 million increase in sales from January, according to the state Department of Consumer Protection.
New York state universities will require a diversity, equity, inclusion course for 2023-24 freshman students to complete before graduation. Universities across the country have already introduced diversity core requirements, including Adelphi University and other private colleges on Long Island with similar courses. This is in response to Florida’s plan to block colleges from hosting programs that teach diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory.
The Connecticut Airport Authority will no longer purchase Sikorsky Memorial Airport due to costly environmental contamination. The CAA had been trying to purchase the airport for months now but received several challenges from Stratford lawmakers, vying for more control over the fate of the site. CAA Executive Director Kevin Dillion will instead look into simply running the airport, but leave ownership with the City of Bridgeport.
New York regulators shut down Signature Bank on Sunday. Governor Kathy Hochul said the shutdown helps safeguard the finances of New York customers following the rapidly growing bank crisis instigated by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Customers registered with Signature Bank, including at six locations in Nassau County, will still have access to their funds despite the shutdown.
