HOW TO REGISTER FOR THIS MEETING

Our sister chapter, SMA of Southern New England, is collecting the registrations for this joint event.
REGISTER FOR THE EVENT ON THE SMA WEBSITE HERE

2026 CONNECTICUT LABOR MARKET UPDATE

Growth without jobs?
Is this the new economic reality or a temporary transition?

The U.S. and Connecticut economies present a puzzle in early 2026:
-GDP growth remains robust
-Job growth has slowed significantly
-Yet unemployment rates stay remarkably low
-Productivity gains are accelerating

Our presenter will discuss:
Why strong economic output doesn't require strong job growth
What's driving economic gains as measured by the GDP
How low unemployment persists even as employers pull back on new hires
Which Connecticut sectors are still adding jobs, and which have stalled
Are workers finally seeing wage gains? How does Connecticut compare to the nation?
How population aging and labor force participation trends are reshaping what "full employment" means

RECERTIFICATION CREDITS This program has been submitted to SHRM and HRCI for recertification credits. 

OUR SPEAKER

Patrick J. Flaherty

Patrick is Director of Research at the Connecticut Department of Labor, Connecticut’s Labor Market Information shop and the Data Integration Hub for P20 WIN, Connecticut’s State Longitudinal Data System. Patrick is on the P20WIN Data Governing Board and serves as the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Agency Data Officer. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Studies from Harvard University and his Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Connecticut. He is also Adjunct Faculty at UConn where he is teaching Principles of Microeconomics at
UConn/Hartford.

Currently, Patrick is the Labor Commissioner’s designee on the Connecticut Retirement Security Program (MyCTSavings). He is also the New England representative on the Local Employment Dynamics Steering Committee.