The state’s unemployment rate has decreased by two-tenths of a point to 7.8 percent, according to the state Department of Labor’s monthly Labor Situation report for the month of February.
“This is good news. For the seventh consecutive month, we’re seeing positive signs in the state’s economic recovery, again outpacing the national average and bringing unemployment to its lowest level since April 2009,” Gov. Dannel Malloy said.
The private sector gained 5,500 jobs in February and 17,100 for the year.
“It appears the region’s mild winter continues to help job growth in Connecticut across many industries, including construction, manufacturing and trade,” Andy Condon, director of the Office of Research, said. “Unemployment continues to decline, although the strength of the move is diminished somewhat by the second consecutive monthly decline in our labor force.”
In January, the state’s unemployment rate was 9.3 percent and this is the first month over the last year that the unemployment rate is below 8 percent.
“The state is seeing a trend that we will fight to continue,” Malloy said. “But we must not lose sight that we are still at the beginning of the recovery. Reclaiming the jobs that were lost will take time, but my administration is committed to do everything we can to put the state on a path that will lead to an economic revival.”
