Connecticut's most comprehensive job site
for opportunities across the state.

The idea of creating “green collar” jobs has been catching on throughout the country. Now the federal government could use the push on going green to help create positions for those looking for a Connecticut job.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell recently announced that the state Department of Labor will work with seven other Northeast states to try to secure $3.9 million in federal stimulus money to help expand the number of green collar jobs in Connecticut, New England, New York and New Jersey.

The funding from the federal Department of Labor is meant to help job seekers and recent high school and college graduates better understand what skills and competencies are required for careers in the green collar industry. The group of states will work together during an 18-month period in order to develop automated tools to highlight green job opportunities in the region and in each participating state.

(more…)

Thousands of Connecticut teaching jobs have been lost during the last year.

The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents recently completed a study that found up to 1,200 positions have been eliminated. Most jobs have been lost because of the state’s budget deficit and concerns about the economy. On top of that, costs have continued to increase while state aid has remained the same.

“There are a good number of districts that have been able to avoid eliminating jobs this year but if we have another year like this, they may not be able to avoid it again,” Joseph Cirasuolo, executive director of the CAPSS, told the Hartford Courant. “It’s been a tough time. It’s never easy to make decisions to cut back because everything and everyone is viewed as worthwhile.”

(more…)

Anyone on a Connecticut job search didn’t get much help from the economy during June.

Overall, employers in Connecticut eliminated 4,800 jobs during the month, negating the 3,600 jobs that were added during May. On top of that, the state’s unemployment rate remained at 8 percent, the same as during May, and lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.5 percent. Since the state’s peak in March 2008, it has lost 70,200 positions, or 4.1 percent of its total workforce.

During June, the state had a total non-farm employment of 1,639,200 workers, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 1,644,000 workers during May and a 3.8 percent decrease from last year.

(more…)

Although the medical industry is one that usually continues to grow, despite the economy, CT healthcare jobs are on the decline.

The State of Connecticut saw its first round of significant job losses in the healthcare industry in more than 10 years during Q2 of this year, according to the state Department of Labor. Since March, the state has lost 1,800 healthcare jobs, a decrease of almost .75 percent.

Even though Connecticut’s healthcare industry has added 3,000 jobs since June 2008, the industry has been seeing a month-to-month decline in positions. During June, the state lost 1,200 healthcare jobs, with losses spread among various sub-sectors.

(more…)

Fewer manufacturing jobs in the State of Connecticut have been lost during recent years. This is good news for anyone who has, or is looking for, a CT manufacturing job.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc. has reported that Connecticut lost 1.3 percent of its manufacturing jobs from 2007 to 2008, a decrease from the 3 percent of jobs that were lost from 2006 to 2007. The state is home to 5,820 manufacturers that employ 221,973 workers.

“As with the entire nation, the recession continues to affect Connecticut’s industrial sector,” President Tom Dubin said. “However the state’s educated workforce and strong exports should help lay the groundwork for recovery.”

(more…)

When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed by President Barack Obama in February, most state and local officials had high hopes that the bill would help to revive the economy, particularly by creating jobs. So how has the federal stimulus fared as far as creating CT jobs? Click here to learn more.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell recently announced that the State of Connecticut has surpassed the $1 billion mark for funds committed to various projects and initiatives under the stimulus. The state has applied for more than $ billion in formula-based and competitive grants.

“The federal stimulus act is providing the State of Connecticut and its cities and towns with much-needed resources to help us all weather this economic downturn and get Connecticut residents back to work,” Rell said. “My administration has been committed and engaged from the start in pursuing every federal funding source available.”

(more…)

State officials are doing their part to help support CT farm jobs.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell recently signed a bill that will help save the state’s $1 billion dairy industry and preserve valuable farmland by providing direct aid for the next two years to farmers struggling with historically low milk prices and high production costs. Money for the aid will be generated by revenues from a $40 fee for recording municipal land documents.

“Dairy farms are an irreplaceable part of our landscape and our culture and keeping family farms viable ensures that we retain the ability to produce fresh, local food. We cannot afford to lose them,” Rell said. “Once they disappear so do the countless businesses and thousands of jobs the dairy industry supports.”

(more…)

There is now a new way to get moving when it comes to finding a Connecticut career.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell recently announced that the Career Express, the state’s mobile workforce assistance center, will be traveling throughout the state during the near future.

“We’re putting the Career Express on the road, visiting local libraries, schools and community organizations to offer job search assistance of every kind, from polishing a résumé to identifying potential employers,” Rell said. “This valuable service is more important now than ever, with the national economic slowdown taking a terrible toll on the working families of Connecticut. I am committed to doing everything possible to help people find good-paying jobs that will support their families.

(more…)

Even though the state’s unemployment continued to increase, about 3,600 Connecticut jobs were added during May, a surprise to many people who are predicting the state will still see thousands of job cuts in the future.

During May, the unemployment rate in Connecticut managed to increase by only .1 percent, from 7.9 percent to 8 percent. Although this is high unemployment rate, it’s still lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.4 percent. The State of Connecticut hasn’t seen its unemployment rate decrease since September 2008, when the unemployment rate went from 6.1 percent to 6 percent.

The state had a total non-farm employment of 1,643,900 workers during May, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 1,640,300 workers during April, but a 3.7 percent decrease from last year.

(more…)

It was recently reported that thousands of CT summer jobs would soon be created thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. However, hundreds of those potential positions could be canceled if the state Legislature doesn’t pass the funding within the next 10 days.

The State of Connecticut was to use $11 million in federal funding to create 4,500 jobs for youths ages 14 to 24. But the General Assembly has not yet appropriated those funds, meaning 700 youth jobs in Eastern Connecticut are now in danger of being cut. According to an article by the Norwich Bulletin, the Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board, one of five throughout the state, oversees $1.2 million for summer jobs.

“The longer we have to wait, the more the program is weakened,” John Beauregard, executive director of the Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board, said in the article. “Something really needs to happen in the next seven to 10 days.”

(more…)