House GOP’s Larry Cafero Decries State’s 8.9 Percent Unemployment Rate; Growth Is “Anemic”

House Republican Leader Larry Cafero ripped the state’s 8.9 percent unemployment rate Thursday, saying that the job growth numbers in September were “anemic.”

The rate dipped slightly from the 9.0 percent unemployment rate in August in Connecticut, which The Wall Street Journal noted was “the highest it had seen in decades.” The 9 percent rate caused concern and was questioned by some for its accuracy.

“We saw a bare tenth of a percent decline in unemployment for September to 8.9 percent, but the Connecticut’s jobless rate remains much higher than the national average,” Cafero said Thursday in a statement. “Plus, our rate of recovery – job growth – has slowed significantly compared to last year. This is just further evidence that a pro-business climate that promotes job growth for small businesses must be the first plank on the state’s agenda.’’

Citing statistics, Cafero said that the state’s current unemployment rate of 8.9 percent is .3 points above the level in October 2011. He noted that the state Connecticut gained 8,500 jobs during the first nine months of 2011 before adding 2,600 this year.

“Governor Malloy didn’t buy the labor department data when it showed a record jump in unemployment in August, but pointed to all the ‘positive’ indicators in today’s report,” Cafero said. “Which is it?’

In a statement, Malloy said, “Every month, whether it’s at the national or state level, we look to the unemployment numbers as an indicator of our overall recovery.  For the last two months, that data has been questionable at best.  And the data is being questioned in several states, by members of both parties.”

Malloy continued, “With the release of the numbers today, the only thing that’s any clearer is how conflicting the data continues to be.  Yes, the divide between the employer’s survey and the household survey has narrowed.  But they still tell two stories that can’t both be true.

“We’ve learned over the past few months that the economic crash of 2008 was worse than anyone realized, which is why it’s taking us longer to climb out of the hole than any of us would like.  But it’s also important to remember that we’re making some progress.  We are making smarter investments in industries that are poised for growth, such as bioscience, digital media and finance.  Long term, we will be in a better position to compete once the recovery really picks up steam.  And employers are telling us that they added 2,000 jobs this month.  These are all positive steps.

“My administration is committed to working everyday to create the good paying jobs with good benefits that our residents need and deserve.”