• June 2020 Business & Employment Changes Announced in the News Media PDF   
• June 2020 Business & Employment Changes Announced in the News Media XLS   

Putnam Plastics to start work on 57,000 sq ft. expansion

Putnam Plastics will begin expanding its manufacturing capabilities with a new 57,000-square-foot expansion next to the existing headquarters. An additional 250 new jobs are expected to be made available. The new building will have some offices, but will mostly be used for manufacturing space. Dandeneau said the new space adds on to what the company already has with a 98,000-square-foot facility in the Killingly Business Park, and another, older 38,000-square-foot facility nearby.

Amazon to Open New Fulfillment Center in Cromwell

Amazon announced Wednesday that it will be opening a new fulfillment center in Cromwell, a move that will bring in hundreds of new jobs. The company will open a new 400,000-square-foot facility at 120 Country Line Drive. Amazon said it will be hiring for the packing floor as well as jobs in human resources, operations management, safety, security, finance and information technologies.

Apple stores reopen across Connecticut

Apple's stores in Connecticut opened their doors again on Wednesday, giving a major boost to the state as it embarked on the second phase of its economic reopening. In Fairfield and New Haven counties, the maker of the iPhone, iPad, iMac, MacBook and Apple Watch relaunched in central Greenwich and downtown New Haven and at the malls in Norwalk, Danbury and Trumbull. Those locations had been closed since mid-March, as the coronavirus crisis spread in Connecticut and across the country.

Amazon to Open Distribution Center in Danbury: Mayor

Amazon has plans to open a distribution center in Danbury, city officials announced Wednesday. Mayor Mark Boughton said that the company will open a 147,000-square-foot Last Mile Distribution Center on the Old Sherman Turnpike at the former site of the Scholastic Corporation. The mayor expects the move to bring at least 400 new jobs to the city.

Windsor's Addison Corporate Center acquired

A California-based real estate investment firm with partial ownership of Windsor's Addison Corporate Center says it's taken full control of the sprawling campus. MacKenzie Realty Capital Inc., a senior and junior equity holder of the 75-acre property, announced Tuesday it recently seized on the opportunity provided by the ongoing "economic downturn" to recapitalize and acquire the portion of the nearly 600,000-square-foot campus it did not previously own. MacKenzie says the acquisition was based on a valuation of approximately $38 million, adding that it now owns 100% of the multi-purpose campus under a newly formed operating partnership.

Competitive cheerleading gym nears Windsor Locks debut

A new indoor cheerleading gym is slated to open in Windsor Locks later this month during the second phase of Connecticut's economic reopening. Co-founders Jordan Bradley and Tea Kenney recently received a special use permit from the town's planning and zoning commission to operate the so-called New World Athletics business in leased space at 1000 Old County Circle.

Fragrance, lotion industry supplier closing factories in Stratford, Torrington

A maker of plastic fragrance and lotion containers and pump tops is jettisoning nearly 200 Connecticut jobs by closing plants in Stratford and Torrington, in a decision that predated the coronavirus pandemic. AptarGroup employed 14,000 people globally at last report including about 2,400 in North America, with the company having its headquarters in Crystal Lake, Ill., and additional Northeast manufacturing locations in Congers, N.Y. and Eatontown, N.J.

Chuck E. Cheese files for bankruptcy

Chuck E. Cheese - where kids could be kids while parents nursed headaches - is filing for bankruptcy protection. The 43-year-old chain, which drew kids with pizza, video games and a singing mouse mascot, was struggling even before the coronavirus pandemic. But it said the prolonged closure of many venues due to coronavirus restrictions led to Thursday's Chapter 11 filing.

Savers' Bristol location closes for good

A popular Bristol thrift store, Savers, has shut its doors for good after over eight years in the community. Located at 657 Farmington Ave., in the Bristol Plaza, the store put up signs in its windows stating, “This location is permanently closed. Please visit our other locations.” Attempts to contact Savers corporate office for comment were unsuccessful.

Freeport McMoRan announced that they will be closing their Norwich operations

Freeport McMoRan, a major employer in Norwich, is closing its Norwich plant due to a downturn in business and economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure is expected to affect 107 workers. Nystrom said that Freeport McMoRan has been in the city for nearly 40 years. He added that they are the number one electric user in the city. Their closure would not only impact Norwich Public Utilities, but the city as a whole.

Macy's lays off nearly 4,000 employees

Macy's is cutting roughly 4,000 back-office and management jobs as COVID-19 continues to hurt its bottom line. The layoffs, which account for 3% of Macy's workforce, will save the company around $630 million annually. Macy's is reopening many of its stores across the United States, which the company previously said are performing better-than-expected.

Greenwich Hyatt to lay off about 150 workers

About 150 furloughed workers at the Hyatt Regency in the town's Old Greenwich neighborhood are set to be laid off at the end of the month in response to the disruption in business due to the coronavirus crisis, the hotel has told state officials. Under the plan outlined in a letter received Friday by the state Department of Labor, the affected workers will be transferred from furloughs with employee benefits to temporary layoffs without those benefits with an “anticipated separation date” of June 30. The furloughs at the Hyatt started March 22 as it closed its doors to business.

Shelton school board finalizes 22 job cuts, including layoffs and job changes

The Board of Education cut 22 positions - seven through layoffs - while three other positions were made part-time to slash some $3.1 million from its 2020-21 proposed budget. In all, the Board of Education, during its Zoom meeting Wednesday, cut some $3.2 million to meet the $72,765,000 education budget number approved last week by the Board of Aldermen. That left the board with an extra $203,864, which it plans to hold for potential coronavirus-related reopening costs.

https://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/progsupt/bussrvce/warnreports/warn2020.htm

2019 Connecticut Career Paths

This publication is created to provide you the information about the skills and training to prepare yourself for a successful career in one of over 340 occupations in the state. For each of the occupations included in the Career Table, information is provided on number employed, job openings, education and training requirements and the earning potential for your chosen field.

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This publication contains information about STEM occupations, earnings, educational requirements, and job prospects. There are also suggestions on how to prepare for a STEM career and where to find more information.

State of Connecticut Career Posters - Job Journeys

For those seeking more information before making a career choice, the Department's "Job Journeys" posters can serve as a valuable resource. These colorful, at-a-glance illustrations of the jobs found in each of Connecticut's 16 career clusters include pay and education information, related jobs,and how they measure up as an "in-demand' career.

Manufacturing and other Middle skills Jobs

A recent publication by the Connecticut Department of Labor's Office of Research titled, Connecticut's Manufacturing and Other Middle-skills Jobs, was created to inform people seeking work or considering a career change of various employment opportunities. Connecticut areas and industries with the most job postings and related jobs to each occupation are also included in the publication.