Politics & Government

Southbury Unemployment Rate Peaks in May

Latest job report shows 6.7 percent of town residents are out of work, up from 6.1 percent last month.

The latest Department of Labor statistics show that the unemployment rate in Southbury rose in May to the highest point it has been in 2012.

According to the latest DOL statistics, 6.7 percent, or 624 residents, reported being without a job in Southbury last month. The number rose .6 percent, over 60 residents, from April to May. The labor force also increased by 200 residents from April to May.

Here's the breakdown from the past four months in Southbury:

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January February March April May Labor Force 9,082 9,094 9,177 9,151 9,351 Employed 8,476 8,499 8,568 8,593 8,727 Unemployed 606 565 609 558 624 Rate 6.7 6.5 6.6 6.1 6.7

Statewide, the unemployment rate crept from 7.7 percent up to 7.8 percent from April to May.

At this same time last year, the unemployment rate in Connecticut stood at 8.9 percent.

Find out what's happening in Southburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In a statement to the media, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy didn’t directly mention the word “increase” in regard to the unemployment figures. Malloy highlighted how the national unemployment rate is at 8.2 percent, still higher than Connecticut.

“Given the fact that more people are trying to enter the work force because they’re more optimistic they can actually find a job, the change in the unemployment rate is not a surprise,” Malloy said. “We saw an example of that increase . As I’ve said all along, changing an economy that failed to grow jobs in a meaningful way for a generation won’t happen overnight. But I am committed to seeing this through.”

He went on to highlight the recent U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report that Connecticut’s economy was among the .

“So while it’s clear we have a lot more work to do, it’s also clear we’re in the process of turning this thing around,” the governor said.


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