October job growth estimates by 700 positions
The report released Thursday morning also revised upward October job growth estimates by 700 positions, putting that month’s gains at 4,300 jobs. That increase followed a gain of 10,500 jobs in September.
The unemployment rate has increased by one tenth of a percent from 6.4 percent, where it was hovering in September and October. With last month’s increase, the 6.5 percent unemployment rate is still 1 percentage point beneath the November 2013 rate of 7.5 percent.
Andy Condon, the director of the Labor Department’s research office, said better-than-average growth ahead of the holiday season has helped to drive people into the labor market.
“Connecticut’s recent string of healthier employment gains looks to be attracting many more job seekers into the state’s labor market in the lead-up to the holiday season and holiday hiring appears to be above average,” he said. “We are also starting to observe some much improved estimates of private sector wage growth that may be encouraging labor force participation as well.”
According to the report, the state has now recovered 78.3 percent of the jobs lost during the 2008 to 2010 recession. That means it has regained 93,200 of the total 119,000 lost jobs. That recovery continues to occur in the private sector. The report said Connecticut has recovered 92 percent of the private sector jobs lost and needs to gain an additional 9,000 private sector jobs for a full recovery in that sector.
In statement, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the Thursday report was a positive sign of economic improvement. Malloy said he hoped to pass job growth policies during the upcoming legislative session.

