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Rising Unemployment Connecticut Trend

The Hartford Courant has a story on the rising unemployment in Connecticut.  The news isn’t particularly good, as the unemployment rate rose from 8.1% to 8.4% in September.  In total, Connecticut lost 6,600 jobs over the course of the month.  While Connecticut is still well below the national unemployment average of 9.8%, the increase in unemployment in September is still considered a significant jump.

While many economists have indicated that the recession has hit bottom, it is clear from this story that we still have a way to go before we’ve dug ourselves out of this hole.  The rise in unemployment marks an increase in job losses compared to August.  Initially, Connecticut job losses in August were reported at 3,700 jobs; a figure that ended up being revised to 4,800.

While it is difficult to gather too much information about the future from a single month’s unemployment numbers, the overall trend has been clearly negative.   The bright spot for Connecticut’s unemployed workforce is that, since Connecticut’s three month average unemployment has risen above 8%, the state is expected to qualify for seven additional weeks of unemployment benefits for workers who are unemployed.  According to the Connecticut Department of Labor, 16,000 unemployed workers would be eligible for those additional benefits.