Community Corner

Unemployment Declining Steadily In Waterford

The Connecticut Department of Labor's report for November pegs the unemployment rate for Waterford at 6.8 percent, down from 8.1 percent in February. The bad news is that federal benefits ran out for the longterm unemployed on December 28.

As the year draws to a close, the unemployment picture for Waterford shows steady improvement. 

The latest unemployment statistics released by the Connecticut Department of Labor in November show that Waterford's unemployment rate, like that of the state overall, has been steadily declining as Connecticut has gained jobs

As of November, 2013, Waterford's unemployment rate was 6.8 percent. That's a significant drop compared to the start of the year when, as of February, 2013, Waterford's unemployment rate was 8.1 percent.

Here's some more good news: The current rate of unemployment in Waterford is also lower than the average rate of unemployment for New London County, which in November was 7.3 percent according to the Department of Labor. 

So what does that mean in actual numbers? The Department of Labor estimates that Waterford has a total workforce of about 9,976, of which 683 are unemployed currently. The bad news is, for some of those people, life just got tougher. 

Federal unemployment insurance benefits expired on December 28 for more than 20,000 Connecticut residents who had been out of work for more than 26 weeks. 

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is urging Congress to extend benefits for another three months to help the longterm unemployed. Although such a proposal has bipartisan support, many lawmakers are balking at the $6.5 billion it would cost the federal government to fund the extension. 


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