The American economy has slowed down more rapidly than what we all expected. Even the best economists did not predict the current scenario. With the entire globe seems to be heading for a recession, the employment outlook for Connecticut is no different. The situation looks bleak and it grows grim as each day passes by. All figures collected by Connecticut Department of Labor show how each day brings in more tightness in the present period of contracting employment.

In the last year itself, while the employment downturn for US has been steep, for Connecticut the loss of jobs has been higher than the national average. All figures point towards a deteriorating state economy for Connecticut as the total output continues to grow at an anemic rate. However, unlike Michigan, California, Florida and Ohio, Connecticut might just skip through a terrible recession as the type of jobs offered in the State are different than those suffering the worst of the downturn. The good news is that the overall predictions for the next two years show only modest job losses for the State – some economists have estimated this to be at around 7,000 jobs. The growth in total output is estimated to average a meager 1.8% over two years.

The major job losses are predicted to occur in manufacturing field. There will be also some modest job losses in construction and government. Other fields like services, financial services, trade and other sectors might see some job creations. Unfortunately, this might not be enough to offset the present job losses occurring in Connecticut. The estimates show that employment grew at 0.4% but in 2009 it is expected to decline at 0.3%. The dragging employment growth rate shows how the new entrants to the labor force will fail to find any place which in turn points towards fall in Real Manufacturing Earnings. This translated would mean lower expected bonuses and also erosion in employment gains.

The negative drop in jobs in the government employment sector is justified by the sluggishness in the economy leading to significant tightening of fiscal capacity. Yet in 2008, this sector added 4,367 jobs and gave some relief to the existing crisis. In the construction industry that has already seen a decline in unit housing permits, things might grow still worse with interest rate cuts declared by the Federal Reserve. Employment remained flat in the residential construction arena in 2008 and in 2009 it is expected to reduce only by .75%. The non-residential sector fares better and its strength may help to eventually make up the losses to some extent in the residential sector.

The growth rates in Trade, Transport, Public utilities, Finance Insurance and Real Estate are expected to remain small yet positive. It is only the Service sector that shows some good news for the year 2009. This sector is estimated to grow at .11% in 2008-09. The health sector has shown most progression in the previous year when 6,233 new health care jobs were created by the sector in the first quarter of 2008. Most of these job gains were seen at the hospital, nursing and residential care facilities as well as ambulatory care. We hope to see things take a turn for the better in future!

An average of 15,000 Connecticut residents can drop off unemployment benefits per week starting in May if Congress doesn’t extend federal government benefits for all those underemployed greater than 6 months, a state official says.

About 270,000 people are at present getting unemployment benefits, said communications director for the Connecticut Department of Workforce Development.

Benefits fall under one of six levels. The foremost is state unemployment, and that is always obtainable; the five additional levels consist of federally funded extensions. Each and every stage offers a new number of weeks of benefits, with all 6 collectively amassing as much as ninety nine weeks.

Congress recessed because of its two-week holiday vacation Fri with out extending the benefits, and an extension of unemployment insurance has just expired. A sixty five % subsidy for health insurance policy benefits for the out of work under the COBRA system additionally expired this week.

The termination of unemployment insurance means that individuals who have been away from employment for more than 6 months may gradually suffer a loss of eligibility for the additional weeks of benefits that are fully financed by the federal government.

The National Employment Law Project claims almost 1 million men and women would find their particular benefits depleted by the end of April without an additional federal government extension.

Democrats and Republicans say they want to see the benefits prolonged, and Democrats who control Congress point out even people who miss checks should ultimately get their money.

That’s little consolation to Connecticut residents who’s income isn’t enough to support their households

Ctjobs.com is a tremendous resource for jobseekers in the State of Connecticut. By providing both employers and employees with a central place to provide and find job listings, it’s just one one way that the internet is helping people during these difficult times.

Connecticut Work Government Websites

One of the best Government Websites To Look For Work In Connecticut is ct works com

There are many government websites that can help you if you are seriously looking for some sort of an employment in Connecticut. The government websites like ct works are open to all and they do not charge anything to browse their site. Also, government websites are very reliable and trustworthy unlike some “get rich quick” schemes that seem to be found on many websites. Here are some of the sites that you can trust and make use of the resources listed.

One of the prominent sites is the official website of the Department of Labor found at http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us where you can find great employment opportunities. When you click on “Job Seeker Services” there are many resources that can aide in your job search such as upcoming career fairs and information on education and training. Moreover the advantage with the site is that there are frequent free career seminars and motivation programs which you can attend and get some good information such as preparing for an interview and tips for resume writing. These topics can be helpful if you are entering the workforce for the first time, or are re-entering it after a layoff.

If you go back to the home page of the Department of Labor website and click on “Job Search” in the middle of the page, it takes you to http://www.jobcentral.org/ct/ which lists current job opening from reputable employers but is also a place where you can post your resume so employers can find you. about the openings that are going to exist in the near future. Undoubtedly this is one of the best government websites where you can look for a job in Connecticut.

Another government website that is beneficial when looking for a job in Connecticut is the official website of the department of administrative services – www.das.state.ct.us. If you click on “Current Jobs” in the middle of the page, you will find a list of current job postings within different departments in the state of Connecticut. There are regular posting updates and job vacancies that are arise frequently that are listed here in the site. The job postings are listing in a way that give plenty of detail so it is easy to find information that is relevant to the type of job you are looking for. Another advantage with this site is that the new postings are clearly marked and so you do not have to weed through many old postings and it lets you apply quickly which can make a good impression. Apart from mere listings there are also many tips for jobseekers so that you can prepare yourself well in advance of finding a job.

http://www.ct.gov/ is an excellent website that gives you a realistic picture of the employment opportunities if you are looking for a work opportunity in Connecticut. By clicking on CTJobCentral, it also takes you to the same job posting site as the Department of Labor but one major problem with the site is that unlike the website of the Department of Administrative Services, the Official Site of the State of Connecticut does not give the enough prominence to job openings.

The Connecticut Department of Labor is dedicated to providing high quality integrated services to those who have been affected by the loss of a job, however many people are not aware of the options and services offered at CTWorks. Whatever your situation it can be a great advantage for you if you aware of the quality and scope of services offered by CTworks. It is the mandate of ctworks to help anyone that is seeking employment to find a new career. With the global job market getting more difficult to navigate, CTWorks is a breath of fresh air to the many employees who have been affected by a job loss recently. With participation from the State as well as local and regional organizations, CTWorks helps over 20,000 jobseekers each year in dealing with their employment issues.

When you become unemployed, CTWorks is one organization that will come to your aid and help you to adapt to your new situation and offers special services to those with low incomes, welfare recipients and the recently unemployed. One of the unique features of CT Works is what is called CT Works Assessment Services. This helps people to find a job that they are uniquely qualified for based on their interests and abilities in basic skills. For workers who need to spend time upgrading skills, CTWorks offers workshops to teach basic computer skills in such computer applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It’s proven that having these basic computer skills increases the chance of finding work. Often displaced workers also have to deal with issues regarding education including completing their GED or help in learning English as a second language. Again, CTWorks is available to assist workers who need help completing further education or learning to communicate effectively in English, whether spoken or written.

It is not unusual that those affected with a job loss also experience issues with stress and possibly family issues as well and CTWorks has partnered with Family Services to provide counselling. Losing a job and dealing with unemployment issues can be stressful and lead to further family problems and CTWorks recognizes this. Beyond just helping people find jobs, they help those dealing with stress or family and relationship issues to deal effectively with their problems. Whether it’s dealing with conflict in the family, stress, or an issue such as childcare while a parent goes out to work, CTWorks can provide assistance to overcome these obstacles.

Too often it’s those in the community that deal with a variety of physical or developmental disabilities that have the hardest time finding work. Whether they are viewed as not having the skills or abilities to complete the jobs or their unique situation limits their abilities, finding a job can be a difficult task. CTWorks is available to help these individuals to find work in their communities throughout Connecticut.

Overall, for anyone in Connecticut that is dealing with a job loss or having trouble finding adequate employment, CTWorks offers and incredible wealth of resources. With difficult economic times on the horizon, it’s nice to know that you have someone in your corner that is pulling for you when you set out to get back into the job market.

The Connecticut Department of Labor provides unemployment benefits to eligible candidates and allows them to file the claim online. The eligibility criteria, mode of filing and related information are given below.

Eligibility for Claim

The applicant should be a US citizen or a foreigner with a valid Alien Registration Number. The claimant should be totally unemployed while making the claim. The person should have worked under one employer only for six months prior to the date of filing the claim. A construction worker without a valid NCCI code is not permitted to file an online claim. Others who are ineligible are those who have worked in other states during the previous 18 months, those who are receiving a pension or social security benefits or who have served in the US Military or Federal Government during the past 18 months. Also those who have lost jobs due to temporary vacation shutdown and will be returning to work within 6 weeks or who are participating in a Shared Work program are not eligible. People live outside United States Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands also cannot file a claim for unemployment.

How to File a Claim

The State of Connecticut has a website to file claims for unemployment benefits which is free of charge. The website is www.ctdol.state.ct.us. When on the home page of that website, click on ‘Unemployment Benefits’ and then click on ‘Filing for Unemployment on the Web.’ On the next page, click on ‘File New Claim’ which will open the claim form. It is important to fill it out properly and carefully and file as directed. Under average circumstances, the eligibility for the benefit commences from the Sunday immediately preceding the day on which the claim was filed, however with higher claim volumes, the wait could be longer. This does not mean, however that you will lose any weeks of eligibility because of longer wait times.

Amount of Money You will Receive.

The weekly eligibility is calculated on the basis of the wages drawn during the first four quarters of the 5 quarters immediately prior to the quarter in which the claim is filed. These 4 quarters are called the Base Period. Out of these, the average wage is taken from the two quarters in which the wages were the highest That figure is then divided by 26 (equivalent to two pay periods a month) and is rounded to the nearest dollar. The resultant figure becomes the weekly benefit rate. To be eligible for this, the person should have earned at least 40 times this amount in the base period., however no matter how much money you earn the maximum weekly benefit rate is $519. Effective from January 3, 2003, for those who cannot establish the monetary eligibility using the above method, can take the 4 quarters immediately preceding the quarter in which claim is filed as the base period. Construction workers for have National Council of Compensation Insurance (NCCI) have a different method of calculation. It is based on the highest wage in any of the four quarters in the base period instead of the average of two. A claim is effective for one year but the maximum amount that can be drawn is 26 times the weekly benefit rate.

Dependency allowance is also paid at the rate of $15 per person. Children under 18, student child under 21, mentally or physically handicapped child of any age and unemployed or unemployable spouse are the persons for whom the dependency allowance is given.

In today’s world of growing unemployment, governments are trying to help people stabilize their lives and give better base to help families deal with a ob crisis. With a motive to provide temporary compensation to those workers who are unemployed and help them get back into life, the Connecticut state unemployment office has been established. They provide compensation like unemployment insurance benefit to only those who meet the requirements of Connecticut law. The Connecticut Department of Labor is working to administer its unemployment insurance program within the Federal guidelines. They help you understand where the grass in greener and how bad things really is. Once you are aware of the facts, you can easily make good decisions for your life ahead. The Connecticut state unemployment offices help you in whatever way they can.

The Connecticut State Unemployment offices have a mission to protect and promote the interests of Connecticut workers. The ever-changing work climate and the current recession period have improved the significance of these offices which work to make sure that the unemployed survive well in the current tide of global downfall. Apart from re-establishing them into the mainstream, the Connecticut state unemployment offices also try to make them better equipped with the current competitive economy, to ensure the supply of high quality integrated services to serve the needs of customers better.

The duration and value of compensation worked out for the unemployed in Connecticut varies from the same received by unemployed workers in other states because each state unemployment office applies its own formulas and limits while calculating these figures. These differences can be easily pointed out when you compare state unemployment insurance programs like eligibility, benefit amounts and duration of different states. The Administrative offices are located at 200, Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield, CT 06109. Their telephone number is # (860) 263-6000 and TTY/TDD is (860) 263-6074.

You can access their website at http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/ for complete details. The Connecticut State Unemployment offices deal with a wide range of issues in relation to unemployment like unemployment benefits (including emergency filling), unemployment appeals and unemployment taxes (employer tax filing). There are some basic requirements for filing for unemployment benefits like you must have been employed before, you must be determined to be unemployed through no fault of your own as laid down by Connecticut law, you must file ongoing claims and you must meet any such other unemployment eligibility requirements as laid down by Connecticut law from time to time. For complete details in this regard, you can visit the above website or you can also call at 1-800-942-6653.

There are several local calling areas you could access to get complete information on the current procedures and provisions of the Connecticut state unemployment offices. They are located in Bridgeport, Danbury, Danielson, Enfield, Hamden, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, New London, Norwich, Torrington, Waterbury and Willimantic. They even have interstate calling numbers from in-state and out-of-state. If you are in Kent, Sharon, Salisbury, Westport or Wilton exchange, Stafford Springs, North Thompson, you can call their toll free number. For all such information, you can access their state website at http://unemploymentoffice.net/State_resources/Connecticut.htm