Connecticut employers ended 2024 on a high note with preliminary data showing that the state added more than 5,000 jobs in December and more than 20,000 over the calendar year, according to the jobs report from the US Department of Labor Statistics.

“December appears to have been a strong growth month,” said Danté Bartolomeo, commissioner of the state Department of Labor. “As did employers nationally, Connecticut employers added a significant number of jobs. In conjunction with November’s revised growth, this may signal that in 2024 the state broke out of the post-2020 pattern of a weaker end-of-year jobs report. Economic indicators remain strong and positive in Connecticut; however, we continue to watch the national economy – increases in inflation, energy costs, or other national pressures will negatively impact our economy.”

The state’s nonfarm payrolls grew by 5,100 jobs in December, bringing total preliminary job gains for 2024 to 20,100. The private sector accounted for 4,700 of the month’s new jobs, with the trade, transportation, and utilities supersector leading the way with 1,900 additional jobs. The educational and health services supersector was a standout as well, adding 1,600 positions.

The only supersector to lose jobs was Professional and Business Services, which posted 100 fewer positions. The manufacturing supersector remained unchanged.

The Government supersector posted the remaining 400 job gains, breaking a string of losses over the last few months. 

In addition to December’s large gains, November’s job numbers were drastically revised upward. Preliminary numbers showing 300 new positions were changed to 1,800 after an additional 1,500 jobs were added to the private sector.

“Connecticut ended 2024 in a solid position with growth in a wide range of industries and low unemployment,” said Patrick Flaherty, director of the Office of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor. “Among many encouraging signs, private sector jobs are at an all-time high and the unemployment rate remains at its lowest level since 2001.

“December job growth brought private sector jobs to a new high of 1,482,400 – growth is always good news. This report also gives us a first look at 2024 as a whole. Jobs were up by 20,100 December-to-December, slightly faster than in 2023 when jobs declined in December. This was a strong end-of-year report.”

Connecticut’s six major Labor Market Areas (LMAs) all posted job gains in December. The Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford LMA led the way with 1,700 new jobs, followed by Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk at 1,500, and New Haven LMA at 1,100. The other three posted more modest, but still positive, gains.

The job gains helped to keep Connecticut’s unemployment rate at 3%, which has held steady over the last three months. That’s well below the U.S. unemployment rate, which stood at 4.2% in December.

“This is one of the strongest employment reports that we’ve seen in quite some time,” said CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima. “It’s encouraging to see not only December’s strong increase of 5,100 jobs, but also the revision of November’s increase of 300 jobs to an 1,800 gain. A number of key industries, including trade, transportation and utilities, private education and health services, and financial activities saw significant increases. It’s also encouraging to see gains in the state’s labor force – the number of employed residents plus those actively looking for work. While we still have work to do – Connecticut has 75,000 open jobs, including at least 5,000 in the critical manufacturing industry – there is reason for cautious optimism as we begin 2025.”