State Unemployment Rate Drops In November

HARTFORD (AP) — The state Labor Department says Connecticut’s unemployment rate fell in November to 8.4 percent, the lowest level since June, 2009.

The rate was 9 percent or higher from December 2009 until September when it dropped to 8.9 percent. In October, the jobless rate was 8.7 percent.

The department said the state has recouped just over 29 percent of the 119,200 nonfarm jobs lost during the recession between March 2008 and January 2010.

Governor Dannel Malloy called the news “encouraging,” but said he believes more needs to be done to stimulate job growth.

Legislation was enacted in October to help boost jobs by providing loans and grants to small businesses and speeding up the state’s regulatory process.

That legislation is not expected to influence unemployment numbers until late 2012.