Connecticut’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm job growth year-to-date through October 2013 has reached 11,000 jobs (1,100 per month). This is slightly better than the 9,600 jobs pace through October of 2012 (960 per month). In 2011, the first ten months brought 10,400 jobs (1,040 per month) and in 2010, the year the employment recovery originated, the year-to-date October gain was also 10,400 (1,040 per month). Job growth during the first ten months of each year of the recovery has been modest but quite consistent in the state.

October’s flat performance was reflected in the  industry supersector mix, as five industry supersectors posted gains and five exhibited declines.  The largest job gain came from the education and health services supersector (1,400, 0.4%).  Education (1,100, 1.7%) and health services (300, 0.1%) both contributed to the increase.  The related construction and mining (600, 1.1%) industry supersector continued to add jobs this October and remains strong over the year (5,500, 10.8%).  The leisure and hospitality (500, 0.3%) supersector was higher in October after a large drop in September.  A warm and hurricane-free October seemed to help the tourist shoulder season after a decline in September.  The financial activities (200, 0.2%) supersector and the information supersector (100, 0.3%) posted small monthly gains as well.

Once again government (-1,100, -0.5%) led October declining major industry supersectors.  Local government    (-1,000, -0.7%) had the biggest monthly decline and state government (-100, -0.1%) also exhibited a small drop.  Federal government employment levels were unchanged as furloughed federal workers got paid so they were counted as working.  Trade, transportation, and utilities lost jobs (-800, -0.3%).  Retail trade (-1,100, -0.6%) brought the overall supersector down, as wholesale trade (100, 0.2%) and transportation and utilities (200, 0.4%) were positive.  The professional and business services (-600, -0.3%) supersector was also lower this month with all of the job loss coming from administration and support services (-900, -1.0%).  The other services (-300, -0.5%) and the manufacturing supersector (-100, -0.1 %) were slightly lower in October.  The heavily defense-related manufacturing sector, especially durable goods production, was less impacted from the federal shutdown than expected as the Defense department rescinded contractor furloughs early on in October.

The September 2013 revised employment statistics pointed to a larger monthly job decline of -4,100 (-0.3%).  Seven of ten major industry supersectors declined statewide in September, with large job losses coming from leisure and hospitality (-1,800, -1.2%), financial activities (-1,300, 1.0%), professional and business services (-1,100, -0.5%), and manufacturing (-800, -0.5%).  The government (1,400, 0.6%) supersector added jobs in September in the state, the month before the shutdown.  At the regional level, all six major labor markets in the state experienced seasonally adjusted declines.  The high proportion of major industry supersector declines statewide (7of 10) coupled with the predominance of regional labor market declines in September point to increased hiring uncertainty and a drop in confidence as October 1^st approached (the beginning of the federal fiscal year when the federal shutdown began).