Connecticut's employment market performed strongly in June, with the state adding a net 6,100 jobs in the month, according to a preliminary survey.
In addition, the state Department of Labor revised its figures for May, showing that Connecticut also gained 6,100 jobs in that month, up from an early estimate of 4,000.
The state's unemployment rate fell in June by 0.1 percent to 4.4 percent. Unemployment is calculated on a separate, household survey, and measures labor force participation.
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association described the figures as positive news.
“We’ve now recovered 111 percent of the private sector jobs lost during the recession and year-over-year, we’ve added nearly 20,000 private sector jobs and 15,000 total jobs—these are pretty good numbers,” said CBIA Chief Economist Peter Gioia in a statement.
However, he also urged caution, noting that after a positive June in 2017, hiring fell off again in the second half of last year.
The tight job market is already having a noticeable effect for some companies though. Jennifer Arenas of recruitment consultants Robert Half says many employers are finding it difficult to hire skilled workers as the economy strengthens.
"What we're seeing is that it really is a candidate's market out there," she told Connecticut Public Radio. "We're seeing that there are a lot of jobs going unfilled for a long period of time because of the demand for skilled talent."
There was strong jobs growth in several sectors in the month, including construction, business services, manufacturing, and leisure and hospitality.
