Initial nonfarm employment estimates show Connecticut added 4,800 (0.28%) jobs in December 2014 (seasonally adjusted).  Six of the ten major industry supersectors added jobs last month.  This is the fourth monthly nonfarm employment gain in a row since an August decline (-1,200) and is the tenth monthly job gain in 2014. Year-to-date job gains in 2014 now total 26,700 (1.61%, 2,225 per month) compared to last year’s 18,400 (about 1,533 per month) before the upcoming annual benchmark revisions that are pending before the next belated release. (See Labor Notes at end of report.)

The state’s private sector gained 3,900 (0.27%) nonfarm jobs in December 2014 and is now higher by a healthy 25,700 positions (1.80%) since last December 2013.  The government supersector (900, 0.38% OTM) was also positive in December and is now adding some positions (1,000, 0.42%) over the year. 

The six major industry supersectors that increased jobs from the business survey in December were led by  leisure and hospitality (2,100, 1.4%).  Strong gains are coming from the accommodation and food services (1,500, 1.2%) portion of this supersector.  A surprisingly solid gain from the manufacturing supersector (1,200, 0.7%) was also apparent.  Durable goods manufacturers (1,300, 1.0%) were the major contributor.   Education and health services (1,200, 0.4%) posted a strong monthly gain driven by the health services (1,300, 0.5%) component.  The government (900, 0.4%) supersector also was a job gainer last month with federal, state, and local government entities all contributing.  The information supersector (400, 1.3%) and the other services (400, 0.6%) supersector added a similar number of jobs in December.

The job losses in the four declining supersectors in December were all below a thousand and were led lower by the combined construction and mining (-600, -1.0%) supersector.  The trade, transportation & utilities (TTU) (-500, -0.2%) supersector was also down in December 2014 with wholesale trade (-500, -0.8%) and transportation and utilities (-1,100, -2.0%) lower while the retail trade portion still added positions (1,100, 0.6%).  Smaller job losses came from the professional, scientific, and technical (-200, -0.1%) supersector and the financial activities supersector (-100, -0.1%).  The financial activities supersector (-2,400, -1.8%) is now the only industry supersector to have lost jobs over the year.  TTU remains the best growing supersector over the year (7,700, 2.6%) driven by retail trade (6,500, 3.5%).