(Wethersfield, CT) – Today, Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo released the February jobs report. While the state’s unemployment rate remains very low, it rose slightly 0.1% to 3.4%. Other key indicators moved as well; employers lost 1,200 jobs even as they added hundreds of job postings.
Commissioner Bartolomeo said, “This was a mixed jobs report with declines moderated by our strong position going into 2025. One month of job losses isn’t unusual—particularly when employers continue to advertise for positions—however, national issues including tariffs and inflation remain a cause for concern. It’s too early to know if those impacts are showing up yet or if these are normal ups and downs of the market. Connecticut’s economy remains stable; we’ll have more data points next month.”
The March 2025 jobs report will be released on April 17.
CTDOL Director of Research Patrick Flaherty said, “The 2024 unemployment rate was unsustainably low, so February’s small increase is somewhat expected. Connecticut’s economy came out of the pandemic recession very quickly; it’s clear that over the past year we’re seeing some steadying in that rate of growth, but the overall economy remains stable.”
TOPLINE POINTS FROM THE REPORT:
- February 2025 unemployment rate is 3.4%, February 2024 was 3.2%.
- Top industry gainer: Healthcare & Social Assistance up 600 jobs.
- Top industry decline: Manufacturing down 600 jobs.
- Federal government jobs declined by 200.
- The CT labor Force participation rate remained unchanged at 65%, although the state’s labor force edged down by 200 workers—most likely due to retirements. The national rate declined 0.2% to 62.4%.
Connecticut currently has just under 32,000 weekly unemployment filers and nearly 80,000 open jobs.
#DOLDaily videos with Director Flaherty will return on April 17, 2025, with the March labor situation report.
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For Immediate Release: March 27, 2025