Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Connecticut
Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Connecticut using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
#8. Middlesex County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 93,496 (3,022 unemployed)
#7. Litchfield County
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 104,115 (3,477 unemployed)
#6. Tolland County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 86,035 (2,797 unemployed)
#5. Windham County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 63,012 (2,412 unemployed)
#4. Fairfield County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 479,912 (18,613 unemployed)
#3. Hartford County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 477,636 (19,055 unemployed)
#2. New Haven County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 466,149 (19,308 unemployed)
#1. New London County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 132,093 (5,528 unemployed)