State Loses More Jobs In January

WETHERSFIELD (AP) — The state labor department says Connecticut lost 3,600 jobs in January, pushing the unemployment rate to 7.3 percent.

Since last January the state has lost about 38,000 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis.

State labor economist John Tirinzonie says while job losses are occurring in most industry sectors, overall the state decline in total employment for January was less than half the rate of decline nationally.

Mr Tirinzonie says construction has suffered a year of severe job losses. But he says hopefully the new federal stimulus package will help restart what he describes as the engine needed to drive other industries.

Nationally the jobless rate stands at 8.1 percent.