Connecticut healthcare employment coming back
Like other Connecticut workers, healthcare employment was hit hard by the pandemic in March, according to data from the CT Department of Labor. While the pandemic sharply increased demand in a few healthcare sectors to care for COVID patients, other sectors declined as people and providers delayed non-COVID care.
But that is changing. By last month, healthcare had recovered all but 7,400 jobs or 96.6% of February’s employment. Total employment had recovered by 96.1%, still down 65,400 jobs.
Not all healthcare sectors were hit equally or have recovered equally. Healthcare employment outside hospitals or nursing and residential care facilities was down sharply in April but rebounded in June. Prepandemic hospital employment in Connecticut was higher than nursing and residential care facilities, but the gap was closing. As the pandemic hit, employment in both sectors fell. Since then, hospital employment has rebounded and even increased by 1,100 jobs (1.9%). However, nursing and residential care facility employment has leveled off at 3,800 jobs (6.3%) below February’s employment level.
