Business & Tech
Jobless Rate Worsens in Darien During 2012
The unemployment rate in Darien was steady from May to June, but like most affluent towns nearby, it's still better than cities such as Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport,according to the Connecticut Department of Labor.
The latest employment and unemployment statistics show an almost unchanged Darien labor force from May to June, with an identical rate of unemployment—6.3 percent, according to the Connecticut Department of Labor.
Over the course of 2012, Darien's unemployment rate has increased by 0.6 percent, just over half a percentage point, with the steepest increase coming from April to May (5.9 percent to 6.3 percent).
In raw numbers, that was an increase of 548 unemployed in April to 604 in May. In June the number increased slightly to 610. Back in January, there were 522 unemployed, or 5.7 percent of Darien's labor force.
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Darien's Labor Force
Darien Jobs in 2012January May June Total Labor Force 9,216
9,554
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9,607
Employed 8,6948,950
8,997
Unemployed 522 604610
Darien's June unemployment rate of 6.3 percent is as close to Stamford's 6.8 percent and Norwalk's 6.7 percent as it is to New Canaan's and Greenwich's 5.9 percent.
Statewide, the unemployment rate is 8.1 percent and the national rate is 8.2 percent.
Darien has seen a slow, steady rise in unemployment since January, when it was 5.7 percent.
Over the course of 2012, unemployment rates for most communities in the area dipped slightly from February through April, then got worse again in May and June. For communities such as Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, the unemployment rate in June is still better than in January.
But for most of the wealthier communites in the area, some of which also saw a drop in joblessness from February through April, unemployment is now worse than it was in January. These towns include New Canaan, Wilton, Ridgefield, Westport and Fairfield. In Greenwich, unemployment stayed relatively steady.
Comparing Darien Unemployment Rates (in Percentages) with Other Communities
2012 DARIEN New Canaan WiltonRidge-
field
West-
port
Green-
wich
Stam-
ford
Nor-
walk
Bridge-
port
CT US JAN 5.7 5.4 5.7 5.6 5.7 5.9 7.2 7.8 13.1 8.0 8.3 FEB 5.8 5.4 5.8 5.4 5.7 5.9 7.1 7.5 12.4 7.8 8.3 MAR 5.9 5.6 5.7 5.4 5.7 5.8 6.8 7.2 12.4 7.7 8.2 APR 5.9 4.7 5.0 4.7 5.3 5.2 6.2 6.4 11.4 7.7 8.1 MAY 6.3 5.6 5.8 5.2 6.0 5.9 6.7 6.6 11.9 7.8 8.2 JUN 6.3 5.9 6.1 5.9 6.4 5.9 6.8 6.7 12.6 8.1 8.2In the above table, for most area communities the April statistics go down relatively sharply, then go back up in May to about where they were before.
(For more 2012 town labor force statistics, see the document attached to this article.)
Update 8:06 a.m.: For some historical perspective, here are Darien's annual averages for unemployment in recent years, with comparisons to the area, state and nation:
YEARLY AVERAGE UNEMPLOYMENT
In recent years, while unemployment has risen sharply, it is still significantly below the state and national averages.
Darien
Bridgeport-
Stamford
Labor Market
Connecticut United States 2002 2.3 3.2 4.3 5.8 2003 2.7 3.6 5.5 5.8 2004 2.0 2.9 4.7 5.5 2005 3.3 4.5 4.9 5.1 2006 2.8 3.9 4.3 4.6 2007 2.8 4.1 4.5 4.6 2008 3.9 5.3 5.8 5.8 2009 5.8 7.6 8.0 9.3 2010 6.1 8.4 9.0 9.6 2011 5.7 8.2 8.8 9.0Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, via the most recent town bonding statement for March 15, 2012.
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