1. Jobs and Vibrant Main Streets Data
Prepared for the
Northwest Hills Council of Governments
By the Connecticut Economic Resource Center
2016 *FINAL*

2. Commuting Patterns
44% of the region’s residents work in the region, and 51% of the region’s residents work elsewhere in the state
Torrington represents the largest single employment location for the region’s residents
The region’s residents also work in New York and Massachusetts
68% of the region’s workforce lives in the region, and 29% of the workforce lives elsewhere in the state
The region’s workforce also includes residents of New York, Massachusetts, and four other states
*For top 25 residences and workplaces per town.

3. Commuting Patterns (2014) Where residents work: Where workers live:
Source: LEHD On the Map. Note: For Top 25 residences and workplaces per town.

4. Number of Jobs
Number of jobs in the region decreased 2% from
The number of jobs in the state increased 6.0% during this time
The region had its largest one-year increase in jobs in (1.9% from 2012) and its largest one-year decrease in jobs in (-5.2% from 2008)
Largest long-term percentage increase in jobs was in Colebrook, which had a 73.3% increase from , an increase of 88 jobs
North Canaan had the largest absolute long-term increase in the number of jobs (385 jobs, a 25% increase)
Eight other towns also had increases over this time
Largest long-term percentage decrease in jobs was in Canaan, which had a 23% decrease (273 jobs)
Winchester had the largest absolute long-term decrease in the number of jobs (a loss of 722 jobs, or -18%)

5. Number of Jobs (2014) By Town
Source: CT DOL; EMSI

6. Largest Industry Shares
Largest industry in the region was Health Care and Social Assistance, comprising 18.0% of jobs
This was also the largest industry in the state (15.8%) and in two towns (Sharon and Torrington)
Government, Manufacturing, and Retail Trade each also represented over 10% of jobs in the region
Other industries that comprised the largest share of employment in at least one town included Construction, Educational Services, and Accommodation and Food Services

7. Top 5 Largest Industry Shares (2015) Connecticut and Region
Source: CT DOL

8. Largest Industry Shares (2015) By Town (1 of 2)
Source: CT DOL

9. Largest Industry Shares (2015) By Town (2 of 2)
Source: CT DOL

10. Unemployment Rate
The region experienced its highest unemployment in 2010, when it was 8.7%
This was lower than the unemployment rate in the state (9.1%) and nation (9.6%) in 2010
After 2009, the region has had a lower unemployment rate than the state
The state’s unemployment rate was lower than the nation’s until 2011; beginning in 2012, unemployment in Connecticut was greater than in the U.S.
Cornwall had the lowest unemployment rate in 2014, and Torrington had the highest
The unemployment rate in Torrington was almost double that in Cornwall
During , Torrington hit the highest annual unemployment rate – 11.5% in 2010

11. Unemployment Rate U.S., Connecticut, and Region
Source: LEHD On the Map

12. Unemployment Rate By Town
Source: LEHD On the Map

13. Self-Employed Workers
The self-employment rate in the region was 15.7% in 2014
This is higher than the rate in the state (10.0%) and nation (9.8%)
16 NHCOG towns had a self-employment rate higher than the region’s rate, and two additional towns had a self-employment rate higher than the state or the nation
Over one-third of the employed population is self- employed in Cornwall and Sharon

14. Self-Employed Workers (2014) By Town
Source: American Community Survey

15. Employment Projections
The state has forecasted a 9% increase in the number of jobs between
Three workforce investment areas (WIAs) are projected to have a 10% increase in the number of jobs
This includes the two WIAs that include NHCOG towns (see slide 17)
These two WIAs will have an increase of over 81,000 jobs, which is over 50% of the total new jobs that will be added to the state

16. Employment Projections By Workforce Investment Area
Source: CT Department of Labor

17. Workforce Investment Areas
Eastern Workforce Investment Area: Ashford, Bozrah, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, East Lyme, Eastford, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Hampton, Killingly, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Lyme, Mansfield, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Plainfield, Pomfret, Preston, Putnam, Salem, Scotland, Sprague, Sterling, Stonington, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, Waterford, Willington, Windham, Woodstock
North Central Workforce Investment Area: Andover, Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bristol, Burlington, Canton, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hebron, Manchester, Marlborough, New Britain, Newington, Plainville, Plymouth, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Somers, South Windsor, Southington, Stafford, Suffield, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, Windsor Locks
Northwest Workforce Investment Area: Barkhamsted, Bethel, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Canaan, Cheshire, Colebrook, Cornwall, Danbury, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, New Fairfield, New Hartford, New Milford, Newtown, Norfolk, North Canaan, Prospect, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Sherman, Southbury, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Watertown, Winchester, Wolcott, Woodbury
South Central Workforce Investment Area: Bethany, Branford, Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, East Haven, Essex, Guilford, Haddam, Hamden, Killingworth, Madison, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Old Saybrook, Orange, Portland, Wallingford, West Haven, Westbrook, Woodbridge
Southwest Workforce Investment Area: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bridgeport, Darien, Derby, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, New Canaan, Norwalk, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport, Wilton
Source: CT Department of Labor

18. Business Expansions and Reductions
Business expansion solely within the NHCOG region added more jobs than were lost in the three staff reductions
The expansion was FuelCell Energy in Torrington (325 jobs)
The reductions were Borgeson Universal Steering Components and Kmart in Torrington and Fender Musical Instruments in New Hartford (totaling 166 jobs)
There were a number of other statewide expansions and reductions, but the impact in NHCOG towns is not known at this time

19. Business Expansions Source: CT Department of Labor Date Company
Location
Principal Product
# Workers Involved
Reason
FuelCell Energy
Torrington
Energy Manufacturer
325
Company is expanding
2016
Edward Jones
Statewide
Investment Services
100
Company is hiring
Fall 2015
Toys 'R' Us
Toy Store
455
Company is hiring for the holiday season
2015
ALDI
Grocery Store 80
Spring 2015
Home Depot
Home Improvement Store
900
Company is hiring seasonal workers
Fall 2014
Goodwill
Thrift Store
128
2014
Verizon Wireless
Telephone Service
103
Company is hiring for retail, sales and customer service positions
Spring 2014
Lowe's
340
1,300
Source: CT Department of Labor

20. Business Reductions Source: CT Department of Labor Date Company
Location
Principal Product
# Workers Involved
Reason
June 2014
Fender Musical Instruments
New Hartford
Guitar Maker
-50
Plant is closing due to poor economic conditions
*INA
Borgeson Universal Steering Components
Torrington
Manufacturer
-43
Company is moving to South Carolina
December 2014
Kmart
Department Store
-73
Store will close
November 2015
Eastern Connecticut Health Network
Statewide
Hospital
-23
Company is reducing workforce
November November 2016
The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P)
Supermarket
-444
Company filed for bankruptcy
October 2015
Connecticut Department of Labor
Government
-95
Department is facing a budget shortfall
Hartford HealthCare
Healthcare
-418
February - March 2015
Radio Shack
Electronics Store
INA*
Company has filed for bankruptcy
November - December 2014
REM Connecticut
Human Services
-342
Services will be discontinued due to lack of funding
-350
January 2014
Patch
Journalism
-24
Source: CT Department of Labor

21. Economic Clusters
The Health Care/Bioscience cluster comprised the largest relative share of the region’s employment (14%) compared to the other five economic clusters
The Health Care/Bioscience cluster also represented a larger proportion of the region’s jobs than of the state’s jobs (13.6%)
Tourism (4.6% of jobs) and Advanced Manufacturing (3.4%) also were larger proportions of jobs in the region compared to their share of state jobs (2.5% and 2.7%, respectively)
Employment in Finance and Insurance, Digital Media, and the Green Economy represented smaller proportions of jobs in the region, compared to jobs in the state
*Industry data available by zip code, which were matched to primary town locations. Due to data availability, the industry data for Cornwall and Warren were combined and portions of Granby were included in the data for Hartland.

22. Economic Clusters (2015) Employment By Connecticut and Region
Source: EMSI

23. Agriculture
Agriculture represented 1.3% of all jobs in the region and 0.4% of all jobs in the state in 2015
Morris had the largest relative agricultural sector, with 23.4% of the town’s jobs in that sector Salisbury had the largest agriculture sector by absolute number of jobs (152, or 6.1% of the town’s jobs)
Eight towns had no agriculture jobs reported in 2015
*Industry data available by zip code, which were matched to primary town locations. Due to data availability, the industry data for Cornwall and Warren were combined and portions of Granby were included in the data for Hartland.

24. Agriculture (2015) Employment By Connecticut, Region, and Town
Source: EMSI

25. Business Formations and Sizes
The region has seen a decrease in the annual number of business formations from 2009 to 2015 (-8.4%)
During this time period, the state has had an increase in formations (7.4%)
Torrington had the highest number of business formations in 2015, with 143 formations (or 23.8% formations in the region)
Most businesses (61.2%) in the region are very small, with four or fewer employees
There are only two businesses with more than 500 employees in the state, and they are located in Litchfield and Torrington
There are no businesses in the region with more than 1,000 employees

26. Annual Percent Change in Business Formations (2010-2015) By Connecticut and Region
Source: CT Secretary of State obtained from CT Data Collaborative

27. Business Sizes (2014)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Zip Business Patterns