Job growth crawls in Conn. with more lost in Dec.

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Job creation in Connecticut is almost non-existent.

The state Department of Labor said Thursday the unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent in December, down from 8.9 percent in November. Typically, that's a good sign, but labor economists say that's due to a declining labor force.

The labor agency reported that 1,800 private sector jobs were lost for the sixth straight month in December.

For 2012, 2,800 private sector jobs were created, up just 0.2 percent

Even a spurt in employment before the busy Christmas shopping season disappeared as labor economists revised the number of retail jobs. Retail employment fell by 1,600, or nearly 1 percent, in December.

State labor officials characterized the numbers as a "lackluster showing in the midst of a rapidly declining labor force."