Credit: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock
With a recent study showing that Connecticut has become an attractive option for workers – both remote and on-site – and the president of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association says the state should keep building upon the momentum.
According to the study – prepared by Yardi Kube, a workspace management platform – workers are on the move, with large changes in the data occurring from 2019 to 2022.
In 2019, 14.1% of the workers who moved between states did so for on-site jobs, whereas 12.8% of the workers who switched states had done so for remote work. But the trend flipped in 2020.
By 2021, 15.7% of workers who switched states had done so for remote jobs, while the percentage of workers who switched states for on-site jobs dropped to 13.2%. In 2022 the gap narrowed a bit but still favored remote, with 14.7% moving for remote work and 12.9% moving for on-site jobs.
Connecticut, however, was also the recipient of large influxes of workers by volume, not just percentage, for both remote and on-site jobs.
In 2022, remote workers made up 20,506 of the 146,000 new residents who moved to Connecticut, putting the state sixth in the nation in terms of in-migration of workers for remote jobs behind Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona. It was a net gain of 9,853 workers in the remote category.
But perhaps the biggest news from the survey fell under the on-site work category. According to the data, Connecticut had the third-highest influx of on-site workers in the country, behind only Florida and Texas. Some 66,400 people moved to Connecticut for on-site jobs for a net gain of 32,619.
CBIA President and CEO Chris DiPentima said the statistics show that workers are choosing Connecticut for a variety of reasons.
“It plays to Connecticut’s strengths. We have a great foundation,” DiPentima said. “Whether it’s the education system that people want to take advantage of and now can because they don’t have to be tied to a company’s physical location.”
He said the state has other attractions, such as its beaches, as well as a lower cost of living than New York City or Boston.
But, DiPentima added, there is still a high cost to living in Connecticut, and more work to do to pull workers from beyond the northeast region.
The Yardi Kube analysis showed that the migration of remote workers “has caused changes in local economies and communities, with Connecticut now serving as a vibrant hub for business and innovation, attracting Millennials.”
DiPentima said younger folks may now be thinking of starting a family and will be looking to Connecticut to settle down.
“Now we need to lean into lowering the cost of living, housing, and more affordable childcare to really capitalize on this,” DePentima said.
There was progress with a 2023 change that resulted in a reduction in Connecticut’s income tax rates, which took effect in January 2024.
CBIA has since been advocating for the state to look at:
Improving access to affordable, high-quality health insurance for small business employees
Implement tax incentives for first-time homebuyers
Make necessary investments in the state’s childcare industry
CBIA supported a proposal for a homebuyers savings account for first-time homebuyers – which can’t proceed this year due to the state’s budget – and a proposal that would provide tax credits for developers that convert commercial buildings into residential properties.
DePentima said goals should include keeping college graduates in the state, and also continue to address those who face dual taxation, by living in one state but working in another.
Gov. Ned Lamont has introduced what is known as the “Challenge Incentive” as part of his office’s annual budget proposal. If successful, officials have estimated that this approach could potentially enable the state to recover up to $200 million in taxes presently paid to New York. Connecticut’s strategy involves catalyzing a series of individual lawsuits in federal court challenging New York’s tax policies.
Connecticut proposes to offer a significant discount on any state taxes owed to the state if residents win their cases.
More Labor News
Labor, Political Leaders Pledge To Improve Workplace Safety On Workers Memorial Day HARTFORD, CT – Labor leaders and elected officials gathered Sunday at the state capitol to remember workers who lost their lives on the job and to pledge to continue the…
Keep reading
April 29, 2024, 9:00 amApril 28, 2024, 11:47 pm
House Republicans Stretch Out Debate, But Democrats Send Paid Sick Days Expansion To Senate HARTFORD, CT – House Democrats pushed through an expansion of the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program Wednesday that will require businesses with as few as one employee…
Keep reading
April 24, 2024, 6:00 pmApril 24, 2024, 7:31 pm
Senate May Consider Bill To Adjust Retirement Savings Program Today HARTFORD, CT – Legislation that would increase the default retirement fund contribution rate for workers in the state could come before the Senate today.
Keep reading
April 24, 2024, 4:45 amApril 24, 2024, 12:19 am
Legislature Approves Up To 4.5% Raise For Some State Employees HARTFORD, CT – The House voted Tuesday to increase pay for state employees by 4.5% for the next fiscal year, an increase of $154 million. The vote – 106-44 with…
Keep reading
April 23, 2024, 2:42 pmApril 23, 2024, 11:17 pm
Sikorsky Lays Off Hundreds Following U.S. Army Program Cancellation HARTFORD, CT – Sikorsky is laying off less than 1% of its workforce in response to the U.S. Army’s decision to eliminate program-making attack aircraft, officials say.
Keep reading
April 22, 2024, 5:00 amApril 22, 2024, 4:11 pm
March Madness, St. Paddy’s Day Aids State Job Growth Connecticut added nearly 5,000 jobs in March, with the hospitality industry getting a boost from the NCAA basketball tournament and St. Patrick’s Day.
Keep reading
April 19, 2024, 11:00 amApril 22, 2024, 11:05 am
CT Hospice Says It Can’t Provide Home Care Under Bill To Protect Healthcare Workers Connecticut Hospice has warned lawmakers it will be unable to care for gravely ill patients in their homes under a proposed law aimed at protecting home healthcare workers.
Keep reading
April 16, 2024, 11:00 amApril 16, 2024, 12:27 pm
Connecticut Teachers Join Fight For Social Security Benefits Connecticut teachers this week are joining a national fight to reverse decades-old federal laws that significantly reduce retirement benefits for tens of thousands of state educators.
Keep reading
April 16, 2024, 5:00 amApril 17, 2024, 12:41 pm
Appropriations Confirms Final Year Of SEBAC Contract, Sending It On To House And Senate HARTFORD, CT – The Connecticut General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee voted Friday to send a pair of resolutions confirming an existing labor agreement for state workers to the Senate and House.
Keep reading
April 12, 2024, 6:58 pmApril 14, 2024, 11:31 pm
Report: College Graduates Earn More, But Disparities Persist At All Levels New data released by the state Department of Education illustrates the effects of discrimination against multiple groups of residents, including significant impacts on their earnings that can compound over decades.
Keep reading
April 3, 2024, 3:55 pmApril 3, 2024, 4:16 pm
Support authentic, locally owned and operated public service journalism!
https://ctnewsjunkie.com/2024/04/30/survey-workers-flocking-to-connecticut-for-remote-and-on-site-jobs/
