LABOR SITUATION

Office of Research
Glenn Marshall
Commissioner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 2012 Data CT Unemployment Rate = 8.0% US Unemployment Rate = 8.3%

Jobs advance by 7,100 to 1,630,600; unemployment rate at 8.0 percent for January 2012 This issue of the Connecticut Labor Situation contains nonfarm employment, hours and earnings, and labor force data (including the unemployment rate) that have been revised as part of an annual benchmarking process that follows methods and procedures established by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). WETHERSFIELD, March 12, 2012 Connecticuts job market got off to a good start in January, growing 7,100 total nonfarm jobs over a revised decline in December 2011 of 1,000. As a result of the benchmark revisions, yearly job growth in December 2011 declined slightly from 9,000 to 7,800, but as of January 2012, Connecticuts year-overyear job growth climbed to 11,900. The states unemployment rate continued recent declines to 8.0%, down 0.1 points from the revised December 2011 figure. The regions mild winter appears to be helping job growth in Connecticut across many industries, including construction, manufacturing, and trade, noted Andy Condon, Director of the Office of Research. Unemployment continues to decline, though unlike in recent months, our labor force also shrank slightly. Although we still have fewer people in Connecticuts labor force than we did a year ago, we appear to be on a trend to close that gap.

Nonfarm Jobs The Connecticut January 2012 total nonfarm job estimate expanded significantly by 7,100 positions or 0.4%. Since January 2011, the state has added 11,900 jobs (0.7%) for a current employment level of 1,630,600. Following the annual benchmarking process, the preliminary December jobs estimate for Connecticut of a 600 increase was revised to a decline of 1,000 (-0.1%, 1,623,500). The annual benchmark revises job estimates based on a more complete count of jobs than is available when the sample estimates were originally made. Traditionally, the benchmark revision process is done annually, prior to estimating January data and this pushes back the release of state January data to mid-March. Seven of Connecticuts ten employment supersectors had gains, while three had declines. Starting with January data, mining*** has now been added as a seasonally adjusted supersector. However, because the mining supersector is so small in Connecticut, its employment is rolled into the allied construction sector for comparison purposes. The construction (3,100, 6.3%) and closely related mining (100, 20.0%, mainly gravel in CT) grouping led all major supersector growth in January 2012, adding 3,200 jobs, or 6.4%. Undoubtedly, warm unseasonable weather helped boost this grouping to the largest supersector gain in January. The trade, transportation, and utilities supersector was the next biggest job advancer, adding 2,100 positions (0.7%). All three subcomponents had gains in January, providing for the positive move. The transportation and utilities component in this supersector provided the largest job gain (800, 1.6%) in January. The wholesale trade portion advanced (700, 1.1%), while retail trade chipped in 600 positions (0.3%). Education and health services grew again this month, adding 1,500 jobs (0.5%). The education services part of this supersector was higher by 800 (1.3%) even during a semester break, while the health care and social assistance portion added another 700 (0.3%). The manufacturing supersector gained in January adding 1,400 positions or 0.9%. Both durable (1,200, 0.9%) and nondurable (200, 0.5%) manufacturing subsectors contributed to the increase. Overall, production segments are holding unchanged from last January. The leisure and hospitality supersector added 700 positions (0.5%) to start out

2012. All of the job gains came from accommodation and food services (restaurants and hotels, 800, 0.7%), while arts, entertainment, and recreation slipped by 100 positions (-0.4%). Other Services also added 700 jobs this January, but this supersector has gained only 300 jobs since January 2011. Information was slightly higher by 100 positions (0.3%) but unchanged over the year. The biggest declining supersector to start off 2012 was the professional and business services (-1,800, -0.9%). Mixed performance within the grouping was apparent. Professional, scientific, and technical services exhibited solid strength (1,300, 1.5%), however, both management of companies (-400, -1.5%) and administration and support and waste management services (-2,700, -3.3%) offset any gains in the supersector. The government supersector was the next biggest job loser this month, dropping 600 positions (-0.3%); both state (-400, -0.6%) and local government (-200, -0.1%) portrayed weakness in January, while the federal government was unchanged. Government, in total, has lost the most jobs over the year (-4,400, -1.8%). And the financial activities grouping was lower by 200 (-0.2%). Real estate lost 300 jobs (-1.6%), yet finance and insurance squeezed out a 100 gain (0.1%) in January. The financial activities supersector is the largest percentage job loser over the year (-3,600, 2.6%) even as securities and investments matched new highs in 2011. Recession recovery: Connecticut has now recovered 35,900, or 30.6% of the 117,500 nonfarm jobs it lost (based on new seasonally adjusted recessionary points and magnitude of loss after revisions) in the March 2008 to February 2010 recession (-6.9% of total nonfarm payrolls). Additionally, February 2010 is the new seasonally adjusted recession trough at 1,594,700. Connecticuts nonfarm job level now is just below the high water mark reached in this recovery which is now April 2011 (1,631,100 April 2011 vs. 1,630,600 for January 2012). Newly applied benchmark revisions and seasonal factors are effective with this release.
CT TNF Comparison between old and new benchmark during Recessionary period (SA, 000's)
1710

New 2011 BM
1690

Old 2010 BM

1670

1650 1630.6 1630

1610 1594.7

1590

Labor Market Areas (LMAs): Four of the six Connecticut Labor Market Areas, which are separately estimated from the state, showed declines in January 2012. The Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford LMA (0.2%) and Norwich-New London LMA (1.0%) led all labor area gains in January 2012, with both adding 1,200 jobs. The Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford LMA leads in labor market job gains since January 2011 (5,000, 1.0%)

Ja n0 M 8 ar -0 M 8 ay -0 8 Ju l-0 Se 8 p0 N 8 ov -0 Ja 8 n0 M 9 ar -0 M 9 ay -0 9 Ju l-0 Se 9 p0 N 9 ov -0 Ja 9 n1 M 0 ar -1 M 0 ay -1 0 Ju l-1 Se 0 p1 N 0 ov -1 Ja 0 n1 M 1 ar -1 M 1 ay -1 1 Ju l-1 Se 1 p1 N 1 ov -1 Ja 1 n12

while the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk LMA led all areas in job losses this month with a 5,100 or 1.3% job loss. This LMA was also estimated to have the largest area loss over-the-year (-5,000, -1.3%). Hours and Earnings: The workweek for all employees in the private sector, not seasonally adjusted, averaged 34.1 hours in January 2012, up 0.9 hours (2.7%) from the January 2011 figure of 33.2 hours. Average hourly earnings at $28.71, not seasonally adjusted, were up $0.32 or 1.1% higher than last January. The resultant average private sector weekly pay estimate was $979.01, up $36.46, or 3.9% over the year. This compares favorably to the change in the Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) since last January (2.9%). Information for the manufacturing production workweek and earnings can be found in the table section of this release under the Hours and Earnings data category. Labor Force Data Connecticuts unemployment rate was measured at 8.0% for January 2012. This is one-tenth lower than December 2011 (8.1%), and one and three-tenths percentage points lower than January 2011 (9.3%). Connecticuts seasonally adjusted labor force measured 1,916,200 in January 2012, down 5,100 over the year (-0.3%) but only down 2,600 (-0.1%) from December 2011. These are the newly revised labor force data figures after the annual benchmark process that is traditionally done this time of year. Unemployment: Based on the household survey, the estimate of people unemployed, seasonally adjusted, was down 3,400 from December 2011 to 152,400, and the unemployment rate decreased one-tenth to 8.0 percent, which is below the national rate of 8.3 percent. Last January, Connecticuts unemployment rate was 9.3 percent. The Connecticut unemployment rate has not been this low since April 2009. Average weekly initial unemployment claims in January 2012 for first-time filers increased slightly over the month by 139 (2.8%) to 5,191 and were down 314 claims from this time last year, or 5.7%.

Comparison of CT Old and New Benchmark Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

10.0 9.5
Unemployment Rate (%)

9.0 8.5 8.0 7.5 7.0

2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011

2010 BM 2011 BM

10 11 12

10 11 12

The nonfarm employment estimate, derived from a survey of businesses, is a measure of jobs in the state; the unemployment rate, based on a household survey, is a measure of the work status of people who live in Connecticut. Overall, as the national and state economies recover, volatility in monthly numbers can be expected. Additionally, changes in methodology that culminated in March 2011 with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics assuming complete responsibility for estimating all states monthly nonfarm job counts have contributed to the monthto-month variability in the numbers. Jobs estimates are best understood in the context of their movement over several months rather than observed changes in a single months estimate.
*** The very small Mining supersector (500-800 employment) has now passed seasonal adjustment in Connecticut for the first time. The tiny mining supersector is gravel-related in CT and is very closely linked to the Construction (50,000 employment range) supersector here in Connecticut. In this case, Connecticut Department of Labor is combining mining with construction when making the industry supersector diffusion comparison to keep an even ten in the industry supersector assessment.

Contact: Communications Office

(860) 263-6535

03-12-12

Labor market information is available on the Internet at www.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi 200 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield, CT 06109-1114 - www.ct.gov/dol An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

NONFARM EMPLOYMENT
Jobs - by Place of Work CONNECTICUT AND THE UNITED STATES - Seasonally Adjusted
Jan. 2012 P CONNECTICUT Goods Producing Industries Mining Construction Manufacturing
Durable Goods Nondurable Goods 1,630,600 600 52,300 166,200 127,900 38,300 297,400 65,300 180,500 51,600 31,700 132,500 114,400 18,100 194,600 88,500 26,800 79,300 319,100 62,600 256,500 139,100 24,200 114,900 60,700 236,400

Dec 2011 R
1,623,500 500 49,200 164,800 126,700 38,100 295,300 64,600 179,900 50,800 31,600 132,700 114,300 18,400 196,400 87,200 27,200 82,000 317,600 61,800 255,800 138,400 24,300 114,100 60,000 237,000

Nov. 2011
1,624,500 600 49,400 165,700 127,500 38,200 294,500 64,800 179,300 50,400 31,500 133,500 114,900 18,600 196,500 88,100 27,100 81,300 317,000 61,900 255,100 138,300 24,200 114,100 60,300 237,200

Oct. 2011
1,627,700 600 51,300 166,200 128,100 38,100 294,900 65,000 179,300 50,600 31,700 133,900 115,300 18,600 196,400 88,400 27,000 81,000 316,700 61,700 255,000 138,800 23,800 115,000 60,500 236,700

Jan. 2011
1,618,700 600 51,200 166,200 128,100 38,100 291,200 62,600 179,300 49,300 31,700 136,100 117,300 18,800 193,100 87,000 26,700 79,400 312,100 61,800 250,300 135,300 23,900 111,400 60,400 240,800

Over Month Change Rate 7,100 0.4%

Over Year Change Rate 11,900 0 1,100 0 -200 200 6,200 2,700 1,200 2,300 0 -3,600 -2,900 -700 1,500 1,500 100 -100 7,000 800 6,200 3,800 300 3,500 300 -4,400
1,953,000

0.7% 0.0% 2.1% 0.0% -0.2% 0.5% 2.1% 4.3% 0.7% 4.7% 0.0% -2.6% -2.5% -3.7% 0.8% 1.7% 0.4% -0.1% 2.2% 1.3% 2.5% 2.8% 1.3% 3.1% 0.5% -1.8% 1.5%

100 20.0% 3,100 1,400 1,200 200 2,100 700 600 800 100 -200 100 -300 -1,800 1,300 -400 -2,700 1,500 800 700 700 -100 800 700 -600 6.3% 0.8% 0.9% 0.5% 0.7% 1.1% 0.3% 1.6% 0.3% -0.2% 0.1% -1.6% -0.9% 1.5% -1.5% -3.3% 0.5% 1.3% 0.3% 0.5% -0.4% 0.7% 1.2% -0.3% 0.2%

Service Providing Industries Trade, Transportation & Utilities

Wholesale Retail Transp, Warehousing & Utilities

Information Financial Activities

Finance & Insurance Real Estate, Rental & Leasing

Professional & Business Services

Prof, Scientific & Tech Services Management of Companies Admn & Support & Waste Mgt Serv

Educational & Health Services

Educational Services Health Care & Social Assistance

Leisure and Hospitality

Arts, Entertainment & Recreation Accommodation & Food Services

Other Services Government** UNITED STATES

132,409,000 132,166,000 131,963,000 131,806,000 130,456,000 243,000

LABOR MARKET AREAS (LMA)

Labor Market Area employment estimates are made independently of Statewide estimates.

Seasonally Adjusted data Bridgeport-Stamford Danbury Hartford New Haven Norwich-New London Waterbury Not Seasonally Adjusted data Enfield Torrington Willimantic-Danielson
* Less than 0.05%

Jan. 2012 P
394,300 67,300 542,600 267,100 126,800 62,300 44,400 34,400 35,400

Dec 2011 R
399,400 68,000 541,400 267,500 125,600 62,500 45,200 35,500 36,400

Nov. 2011
397,900 67,400 540,200 268,800 126,300 62,300 45,000 35,800 36,400

Oct. 2011
398,400 67,200 541,900 269,100 127,200 62,400 44,900 35,700 36,300

Jan. 2011
399,300 65,800 537,500 265,200 129,200 61,800 44,100 34,000 35,000
P = Preliminary

Over Month Change Rate -5,100 -700 1,200 -400 1,200 -200 -800 -1,100 -1,000 -1.3% -1.0% 0.2% -0.1% 1.0% -0.3% -1.8% -3.1% -2.7%
R = Revised

Over Year Change Rate -5,000 1,500 5,100 1,900 -2,400 500 300 400 400 -1.3% 2.3% 0.9% 0.7% -1.9% 0.8% 0.7% 1.2% 1.1%

** Includes Native American tribal government employment

Starting with March, 2011, our monthly statewide and major LMA nonfarm job estimates have been taken over by the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the final phase of transition in this program, which began in 2008. As a result of changes in the estimation procedures, you are likely to see more variability in month-to-month estimates of job counts. Caution should be used in interpreting any single months estimate. The data are best interpreted to identify trends and cycles over several months and quarters. If you have any questions about these changes, please email us at: dol.lmi@ct.gov.

Connecticut Labor Situation

January 2012

UNEMPLOYMENT
Persons Unemployed - by Place of Residence CONNECTICUT AND THE UNITED STATES - Seasonally Adjusted
Jan 2012 P
Number CONNECTICUT Unemployed Labor Force UNITED STATES Unemployed Labor Force Rate

Jan 2011 R
Number Rate

Change Number Points

Dec 2011 R
Number Rate

152,400 1,916,200

8.0

178,000 1,921,300

9.3

-25,600 -5,100

-1.3

155,800 1,918,800

8.1

12,758,000 154,395,000

8.3

13,919,000 153,250,000

9.1

-1,161,000 1,145,000

-0.8

13,097,000 153,887,000

8.5

U.S. AND CONNECTICUT UNEMPLOYMENT RATES - Seasonally Adjusted 2010 - 2012

12.0 11.0 Percent Unemployed 10.0

US
9.0

CT
8.0 7.0 6.0 J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

2010

2011

2012

LABOR MARKET AREAS - Not Seasonally Adjusted

Jan 2012 P
Number Rate

Jan 2011 R
Number Rate

Change Number Points

Dec 2011 R
Number Rate

Bridgeport-Stamford Danbury Enfield Hartford New Haven Norwich-New London Torrington Waterbury Willimantic-Danielson CONNECTICUT UNITED STATES
P = Preliminary

37,700 6,400 4,100 51,000 28,000 13,200 4,600 11,300 5,800 160,900 13,541,000
R = Revised

7.9 6.9 8.3 8.4 8.8 8.8 8.4 11.1 9.8 8.5 8.8

44,600 7,600 4,700 60,000 33,100 15,000 5,600 13,700 6,700 189,500 14,937,000

9.3 8.3 9.4 9.9 10.4 9.8 10.2 13.3 11.2 9.9 9.8

-6,900 -1,200 -600 -9,000 -5,100 -1,800 -1,000 -2,400 -900 -28,600 -1,396,000

-1.4 -1.4 -1.1 -1.5 -1.6 -1.0 -1.8 -2.2 -1.4 -1.4 -1.0

34,100 5,600 3,600 46,000 25,300 12,100 3,900 10,200 5,300 145,000 12,692,000

7.1 6.0 7.0 7.6 8.0 8.1 7.2 10.0 8.9 7.6 8.3

Labor force data included in this publication are developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Connecticut Labor Situation

January 2012

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
Not Seasonally Adjusted

LABOR MARKET AREAS

North Canaan Salisbury Canaan Winchester Barkhamsted Norfolk Colebrook Hartland Granby Enfield Suffield Somers Stafford Union Woodstock

East Granby Windsor Locks Simsbury Windsor

Enfield 8.3
East Windsor

Thompson

Ellington Tolland Willington Ashford Eastford Pomfret

Putnam

Sharon

Cornwall Goshen

Torrington

New Hartford

Canton

Bloomfield

South Windsor

Vernon

Willimantic-Danielson 9.8
Mansfield Chaplin Hampton Brooklyn Killingly

Torrington 8.4
Kent Warren Litchfield Harwinton Burlington

8.4 Windham Wethersfield Scotland Canterbury PlainfieldSterling Columbia Glastonbury Newington Bristol Plainville New Thomaston Britain Rocky Plymouth Hebron Washington Hill Bethlehem Marlborough Lebanon Sprague Watertown Franklin New Cromwell Berlin Lisbon WolcottSouthington Portland Milford GriswoldVoluntown Sherman East Waterbury Colchester Hampton Waterbury Roxbury Woodbury Danbury 11.1 Middletown Bozrah Norwich Meriden 6.9 Middlebury Preston Bridgewater Middlefield Cheshire Prospect New Norwich-New London Naugatuck East Salem Fairfield North Southbury 8.8 Haddam Brookfield Haddam Stonington Wallingford Durham Beacon Montville Ledyard Oxford Falls Bethany New Haven Chester Danbury Newtown Lyme HamdenNorth 8.8 KillingSeymour Stonington East Waterford Bethel Haven North worth Deep River WoodNew Groton Lyme Branford Essex bridge Ansonia London Madison Monroe Guilford Old Derby New WestLyme Old Ridgefield Redding Shelton Haven East Clinton brook Saybrook Haven Branford Orange West Bridgeport-Stamford Easton Trumbull Haven
Morris

Coventry West Manchester Bolton Hartford East Hartford Hartford Hartford Andover Farmington

Avon

7.9

Weston Wilton New Canaan Stamford Greenwich Darien

Milford Stratford Bridgeport Fairfield

Westport Norwalk

January 2012 Connecticut: 8.5% U.S.: 8.8%

Not

HOURS AND EARNINGS

CONNECTICUT Statewide - Not Seasonally Adjusted
Average Weekly Earnings
Jan. 2012 P Jan. 2011 $942.55 Change over Yr. $36.46 Dec. 2011 R $968.54

Average Weekly Hours

Jan. Jan. Change Dec. 2012 P 2011 over Yr. 2011 R 34.1 33.2 0.9 34.2

Average Hourly Earnings

Jan. 2012 P Jan. Change Dec. 2011 over Yr. 2011 R $0.32 $28.32

Private Industry All Employees Manufacturing Production Workers

$979.01

$28.71 $28.39

$994.31

$971.60

$22.71 $1,030.93

39.9

40.7

-0.8

39.4

$24.92 $24.66

$0.26 $25.33

P = Preliminary

R = Revised

Hours and earnings are also developed for the state's major industry sectors and Labor Market Areas. They can be found on our website at: www.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi .

Connecticut Labor Situation

January 2012

TRENDS
Seasonally Adjusted
Nonfarm Total Unemployment Employment (000s) Rate
2011 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2012 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1,618.7 1,621.7 1,621.7 1,631.1 1,623.4 1,620.8 1,626.1 1,623.7 1,624.2 1,627.7 1,624.5 1,623.5 R 9.3 9.2 9.1 9.0 8.9 8.9 8.9 8.8 8.6 8.5 8.3 8.1 R

Nonfarm Employment
1,635.0 1,630.0 1,625.0 1,620.0 1,615.0 1,610.0 1,605.0 Jan Mar May July 2011 Sep Nov Jan Mar May 2012 July Sep Nov

Thousands

SA

3-Months MA

1,630.6 P

8.0 P
9.5 9.0

Total Unemployment Rate

Percent

8.5 8.0 7.5 7.0 Jan

Mar

May

July

Sep

Nov

Jan

Mar

May

July

Sep

Nov

2011

2012

Avg Weekly Initial Claims

2011 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2012 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 5,506 5,057 5,097 5,176 5,290 5,079 5,022 4,924 5,927 5,070 8,694 5,052

Avg Manufacturing Weekly Hours*

39.4 41.0 41.1 40.7 40.7 41.1 40.1 40.4 40.2 40.6 40.6 40.7 R

Average Weekly Initial Claims

10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 Jan

Mar

May

July

Sep

Nov

Jan

Mar

May

July

Sep

Nov

2011

2012

5,191

39.9 P
45.0 43.0 41.0 39.0 37.0 35.0 Jan

Average Manufacturing Weekly Hours

Mar

May

July

Sep

Nov

Jan

Mar

May

July

Sep

Nov

2011

2012

* Not seasonally adjusted

P = Preliminary

R = Revised

** Labor-management dispute

Connecticut Labor Situation

January 2012