“Now, many of those folks have lost their jobs and may decide to move out of state to find new jobs,” Carstensen said. Carstensen points out, while they maintained residency in Connecticut. It’s a tenuous tide, however, with the core question - will people who have a choice want to live in Connecticut?Īs attractive job opportunities dwindled in Connecticut, many people took jobs in information technology and other fast-growth sectors in New York and elsewhere, UConn economist Fred V. Now, after the pandemic, Connecticut shows signs of a sea change, breaking that cycle of languishing incomes and flat job gains.
It’s especially clear in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven and other cities with high property taxes, low average incomes and large Black and Hispanic populations who bear the brunt of an economy short on opportunities. Through booms, collapses and the pandemic shutdown, Connecticut’s economy has failed to show long-term, sustained growth - leading to a cycle of weak job opportunities and budget shortfalls.
