Connecticut Lost 52,000 Jobs in 2008

Connecticut lost 14,300 jobs in February, 2009, as its unemployment rate rose to 7.4%.

The last time the state lost roughly as many jobs in a single month was in July 1991, when 14,200 were eliminated.

The state Department of Labor said Connecticut’s nonfarm employment last month totaled 1,656,500, a decline of 14,300 from January, and a loss of 52,000 from February 2008.

The hardest hit sector last month was professional and business services, which lost 6,400 jobs.

Just two sectors added jobs, with the trade, transportation and utilities group adding 1,000 and “other services” gaining 500.