Tucked in southeastern Connecticut along Long Island Sound and the Rhode Island border, the nearly two dozen historic communities that make up this metro area are no stranger to economic downturns. New London, one of the region’s anchor cities, is a seaport and former whaling hub that gradually lost its shipping relevance. The region was hit hard by the recession, losing some 13,000 jobs from 2008. Nearly half those jobs – 5,600 – were lost in the past year alone.
The main culprits: layoffs from the Electric Boat shipyard, a submarine manufacturer, and the behemoth pharmaceutical company, Pfizer Inc., according to a report commissioned by the United States Conference of Mayors. The local gaming industry has also been hurt by recent competition in neighboring Massachusetts.
Connecticut is trying hard to create jobs with government incentives, which convinced a sport-equipment manufacturer in the region to use state funds to hire and train four new workers. The reason for the new hires is more impressive than the number: The manufacturer is bringing back jobs it previously outsourced overseas.
