Department of Labor

At A Glance

PATRICIA H. MAYFIELD, Commissioner

Linda L. Agnew, Deputy Commissioner

Established - 1873

Statutory authority - CGS Sec. 31-1 to 31-403 (excluding chapter 568)

Central office - 200 Folly Brook Blvd.,

Wethersfield, CT 06109-1114

Website - www.ct.gov/dol

Average number of full-time employees - 828

Recurring operating expenses: Federal - $80,888,713; State - $64,700,688

Capital outlay: Federal - $241,877; State - $115,764; CEPF - $52,893

Organizational structure - Central Office, Annex Office and 14 statewide CTWorks One-Stop Centers.

Mission

The Department of Labor is committed to protecting and promoting the interests of Connecticut workers. In order to accomplish this in today’s ever-changing environment, we must assist workers and employers in becoming competitive in the global economy. We must take a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of workers, employers, and other agencies that serve them. We must provide the highest-quality, integrated services in response to our customers’ needs.

Statutory Responsibility

The Connecticut Department of Labor (DOL) meets the needs of workers and employers by assisting them to become competitive in the global economy. For workers, this is accomplished through income support between jobs, assistance in searching for jobs, protection and fairness on the job, training programs, job and career fairs, and information about the economy, wages and the workplace. Services offered to businesses include workplace data, labor market information, recruitment assistance and regional job fairs, programs to help maintain and upgrade employee skills, such as apprenticeship and customized job training, OSHA guidance and consulting services, and tax credit information. Informational services to workers and employers, as well as enforcement responsibilities, include the payment of wages, health and safety, employment of minors, family and medical leave, representation by labor organizations, and resolution of labor disputes. As the Connecticut arm of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency collects, analyzes and disseminates workforce data to inform businesses, the general public, government planners and policymakers about employment issues and trends.

Public Service

Unemployment Insurance and Related Assistance

· Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits are provided to unemployed persons pursuant to statute while claimants look for new work or take part in approved training programs. The DOL offers two options for filing unemployment compensation claims – TeleBenefits, an automated voice system, and WebBenefits, an Internet system – both available in English and Spanish. WebBenefits gives claimants access to their benefit payment and the capability to print out the information. The online system also provides an appeals filing application for unemployment insurance decisions. Currently, 33% of all individuals filing weekly unemployment claims now use the Internet method.

· Rapid Response services were provided to 136 employers and more than 5,285 workers this year. Services are available to companies closing or downsizing and to employees affected by layoffs. Providing early intervention services – information on unemployment insurance, employment programs, community services and health insurance plans eases the impact of layoffs and ensures that workers are aware of the full range of benefits and services available to them. The DOL heads a team comprised of a partnership of agencies and community groups.

· Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) provides benefits to individuals whose worker group was certified by the U.S. Department of Labor as adversely affected by imports or production shifts to certain countries. Workers who totally or partially separate from affected employment during the specified certification period may apply for TAA benefits. Between July 1, 2006 and June 12, 2007 the following activity took place:

- A total of 2,000 individuals were identified as potentially eligible to apply under certified petitions and 961 of these individuals submitted applications.

- A total of 475 individuals were enrolled in TAA training programs.

- Approximately $2,717 was issued for relocation and job search purposes.

- A total of $4,351,119 was paid to provide for 12,364 weeks of Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA). This included 9,132 weeks of basic TRA services; 3,196 weeks of additional TRA services; and 36 weeks of remedial TRA services. Workers who satisfy applicable program requirements may receive basic TRA, additional TRA and remedial TRA.

· Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA), amounting to $110,920, was provided as wage subsidy payments for workers at least 50 years old who, within 26 weeks of separating from trade-impacted employment, obtained lower paying, full-time work. Under the guidelines, wage subsidies are provided if new employment pays $50,000 or less annually.

· The Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC), a federal tax credit that pays 65% of the qualified health insurance premiums paid by individuals, was provided to eligible Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) recipients identified by DOL. The Internal Revenue Service, in partnership with CTDOL, other federal and state agencies, and the private health industry, administers the tax credit.

· The Enhanced Re-employment Services program identifies unemployment insurance claimants who are likely to exhaust their benefits before securing new employment. More than 6,000 individuals attended orientation sessions and many received more direct, individualized employment services and training to facilitate their return to employment.

Employment and Training

· Employment Services: One-Stop Career Centers, located in 14 CTWorks offices statewide, provided employment services to more than 50,000 Connecticut residents and 5,700 veterans this year. Employment services include assistance with career choices and job searches; job search resources such as telephones, fax machines, computers with Internet connectivity, books, videos, and newspapers; and workshops on résumé writing, interviewing and career exploration. Career Center staff maintain job listings and provide customers with information about specific companies and labor market trends. DOL’s Career Development Specialists assist customers by using their expertise as board-certified members of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.

· The Career Express mobile workforce center has been on the road for nearly three years, bringing workforce and job skills development services to individuals, employers, veterans and students across the state. Career Express staff held workshops for approximately 2,020 high school, technical school, college and adult education students and assisted approximately 1,700 others with job searches, résumé writing, career exploration, completing job applications and interviewing techniques. Approximately 180 individuals were provided job search assistance through the Homelessness and Supportive Housing Initiative.

· Office of Apprenticeship Training administers the state’s apprenticeship system for businesses. Apprenticeship is a long-term (one to four years) proven training strategy that prepares skilled workers for Connecticut industry. The program offers individuals an opportunity of “learning while earning” based on an employer-employee relationship. DOL provides registration, monitoring and consulting services to qualified employers while assisting them in recruitment efforts and making use of Connecticut business tax credits. More than 2,200 employers and labor/management committees sponsor 6,000 apprentices in a variety of occupations.

· Office for Veterans Workforce Development helps Connecticut veterans through its staff of Veterans’ Employment Representatives located at CTWorks offices and various out-stations, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans’ Employment Representatives provided employment services to 6,378 veterans and participated in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in New London to help men and women leaving the armed forces to transition to civilian careers. With assistance from the Connecticut Military Department, demobilization services were provided to the returning troops from the CT National Guard and Reserves.

· Connecticut Job and Career Fairs brought more than 600 companies and 13,000 job seekers together as a result of nine regional events and two veteran-specific career fairs, Heroes4Hire, held in January and July. The two veteran job fairs, produced especially for our returning troops, but open to all veterans. set a record for the number of companies participating, 85 and 93 respectively. Both were co-sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Military Department. Job Development staff also took an active role in planning the Hartford Springfield Economic Partnership’s Fall 2006 College Career Expo geared to inform college students of the many job opportunities and internships available in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. Approximately 72 companies and nearly 1,000 college students participated.

— Jobs First Employment Services serves recipients of Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) through DOL’s partnership with Social Services and the Workforce Investment Boards. Program staff also provides job search assistance, vocational education combined with adult education when appropriate, subsidized employment and support services to families who receive time-limited TFA. During the year, approximately 16,000 participants received employment services from CTWorks staff and/or through contracted service providers.

· Job Corps provided educational and vocational training to low-income youth ages 16-24 (no age limit for persons with disabilities) to more than 600 students this year. Its mission is to enhance employability and independence through training or further education. Administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Connecticut’s Job Corps program includes New Haven Job Corps Center and the Hartford Job Corps Academy. Both sites offer residential and non-residential training facilities and day care for the children of non-residential students. Onsite DOL employees provide employment services and other supports to the students bringing more than $1.3 million in state and community resources to Job Corps.

· More than 300 job developers, career development specialists, members of the business community, school counselors and teachers attended the annual Connecticut Learns and Works Conference held annually in conjunction with the Connecticut Career Resource Network, a partnership between the departments of Labor and Education.

Web-Based Services

· DOL’s Internet job service, Connecticut Job Bank, assisted companies with their hiring needs and helped individuals find employment. Connecticut Job Bank served more than 150,000 job seekers and 15,000 businesses this year while staff held approximately 700 recruitment events and employers used the computerized system to recruit candidates for 103,488 positions. Connecticut Job Bank was replaced in July 2007 with a new system, CT JobCentral, which offers the same services to employers or job seekers. It can be accessed from the Connecticut Labor Department Website (www.ct.gov/dol), or reached directly at www.jobcentral.org/ct.

· The Connecticut Job & Career ConneCTion assisted more than 17,000 visitors each month. The online service provides job descriptions, education and training requirements, wage information and employment projections for nearly 800 occupations, making it the state workforce system’s prime career information resource.

· The Connecticut Education & Training ConneCTion, the most comprehensive source of information on education and training in the state, assisted more than 10,000 visitors each month by providing more than 8,700 training programs and courses.

Workplace Guidance and Safety

· Wage and Workplace Standards staff recovered $8.7 million in owed wages for Connecticut workers this year. The unit promotes prosperous and stable workplaces and enforces a wide range of workplace laws including minimum wage and overtime, wage payment, prevailing wage, and the employment of minors. Services also include a proactive educational outreach program where workplace laws and regulations are available to all DOL customers through booklets, pamphlets and the Internet.

· State Board of Labor Relations defines and protects the statutory rights of employees including the right of public employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations. The Board also encourages and protects the right of employees and employers to bargain collectively and remedies certain practices on the part of employees and employers that are detrimental to the collective bargaining process and to the general public. More than 90 percent of the cases filed with the State Board of Labor Relations were resolved short of a Board hearing, largely due to successful mediation efforts of Assistant Agents. A total of 626 cases were filed during the year and 669 were closed during this period.

· State Board of Mediation and Arbitration provides mediation and arbitration services to employers and employee organizations in the public and private sector. The objectives of the Board are to save jobs by maintaining peaceful employer/employee relations and to promote equity between labor and management by resolving labor disputes. This year, the Board successfully closed 946 cases and issued 170 awards.

· Connecticut Occupational Safety and Health Division (CONN-OSHA) enforces health and safety standards in public sector workplaces by conducting safety inspections, responding to complaints or requests, and investigating fatalities and serious accidents. Citations are issued where violations are discovered. Safety training and on-site safety and health consultations are provided to private and public sector employers on request and the division offers no-cost technical assistance and information services on workplace hazards. The statistics unit collects data and provides information on workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities that occur in Connecticut.

· The Office of Program Policy provides legal counsel to the DOL’s executive administration and all divisions. This includes technical assistance in Unemployment Insurance matters to agency adjudicators, written opinions and verbal guidance, and staff training in the application of unemployment compensation regulations. Staff also served as the agency clearinghouse for Freedom of Information Act requests.

· As the Connecticut arm of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Office of Research collects, analyzes and delivers information on the state's labor market. Information is collected and disseminated on employment levels, unemployment rates, wages and earnings, estimates of available labor, employment projections, business staffing patterns, and career planning information. Among those who use this information are employers, career counselors, educators, economic developers, training program planners and policy makers, economists and the public.

· The Employment Security Appeals Division conducts appeal hearings from decisions granting or denying Unemployment Compensation benefits through two levels of Appeals. The first level (Referee Section) decided 18,638 appeals while the second level (Board of Review) decided 1,855 appeals. The Appeals Division continued to exceed the federally-mandated quality standards in issuing its decision.

Employer Services

· The Tax Division administers an equitable unemployment insurance tax program that protects both workers and employers through the fair enforcement of the Unemployment Compensation law.

· Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and Welfare-to-Work (WtW) Tax Credit programs provide federal tax credits for employers hiring individuals from specified groups. A total of 5,020 certifications for tax credits were granted.

— Business Services Unit helps Connecticut’s businesses hire, train and retain workers by analyzing the needs of businesses and customizing solutions. Between October 2006 and June 2007, the Business Services staff administered the 21st Century Skills Training Program, a unique program for new and expanding Connecticut businesses that need to enhance the skills of the current workforce to remain competitive. Using an allocation of $1 million, staff developed agreements resulting in the training of 3,000 workers within 58 Connecticut companies. Skills workers will gain range from workplace literacy to software testing.

· The Center for Lean Government offers businesses customized training programs and group work sessions that examine work processes, identify customer values and finds ways to increase productivity through the elimination of unnecessary reports, paperwork, approval processes, information retrieval, work backlogs and time-consuming forms. Lean curriculum enabled DOL to foster partnerships with sister agencies, helping to re-engineer approximately 600 process steps, automatically reallocating resources and simultaneously saving 15,000 worker hours. Internally, 20 major processes have been “leaned” and staff continue to reduce waste on a daily basis. Externally, Lean staff has helped the departments of Economic and Community Development and Environmental Protection and the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services simplify the way their services are delivered to their clients.

· Alien Labor Certifications handled by the Alien Labor Certification unit totaled 290. This included temporary certifications for foreign agricultural workers (H-2A) and foreign hospitality/retail workers (H-2B). Prior to certification, the unit ensures that employers have exhausted all means to hire American workers before recruiting foreign workers. The unit also handled 2,000 requests for prevailing wages and inspected 38 farms in connection with agricultural certifications.

· The Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers program provided outreach services to approximately 165 workers, including information on available workforce services, referrals to healthcare providers and other supportive services. Agricultural employers received recruitment assistance, mediation and interpreter services as well as technical guidance on compliance with the Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker regulations.

· The Shared Work Program was utilized by 109 companies and their employees this year. Shared Work provides companies with an alternative to layoffs, allowing the employer to retain skilled workers. The company is able to cut back on the workweek by 20 to 40 percent, and employees retain a portion of their salary that is then supplemented by partial unemployment compensation benefits.

Improvements/Achievements 2006-07

Grants and Awards

· Dislocated Worker Grants. In November 2006, DOL was awarded $2,001,196 in federal funds to serve workers laid off from Electric Boat in Groton. This was in addition to the $1 million received in July 2005 for Electric Boat workers. Services continue to be offered to workers laid off from the Stop and Shop warehouse in North Haven. A $1 million National Emergency Grant was received in June 2006 for these workers. In addition, $22,223 in Workforce Investment Act funds were awarded this year to Workforce Alliance, the South Central Regional Board to serve workers laid off from the Mortgage Lenders Network.

· The DOL administers the Workforce Investment Act federal funding, which this year totaled $25.9 million and provided workforce services to more than 4,500 individuals. Under the guidelines of the federal legislation, a major portion of the grant is provided to the state’s five Workforce Investment Boards to offer services at the local level.

· Unemployment Insurance Grants. The agency was awarded $176,133 in federal grants to support contingency and disaster recovery plans. This funding allows for scheduled testing of back-up site operations for benefit check processing and printing.

· In May 2007, CT DOL was awarded a two-year $1,180,000 Disability Program Navigator Grant from the U.S. DOL. This grant establishes a state level Lead Program Navigator at the Connecticut Department of Labor and regional Disability Program Navigators. The role of the navigators is to coordinate assistance to people with disabilities in order to "navigate" through the challenges of attaining employment. This grant will also further the collaboration among the Labor Department, local workforce investment boards, the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, employers and other partners providing programs and services to persons with disabilities.

· DOL is an active partner in two statewide initiatives: (1) The Department of Social Services’ Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, an effort to maximize opportunities for self-sufficiency and full participation for people with disabilities, and (2) the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ Mental Health Transformation Grant, a collaboration that aims to transform current mental health services and associated systems.

· Individual Development Accounts (IDAs): Approximately $3.3 million in funds were administered by the DOL this year for IDA programs to help create self-sufficiency and enhance careers. The DOL received $907,500 in federal funding, $1,225,000 in state funds, $300,000 in housing trust funds and $1,065,000 in contributions from financial institutions or Community Action Agencies. IDAs are matched savings accounts designed to help low-income individuals and families save money that can be used to purchase assets. The agency administered four federal Assets for Independence Act (AFIA) grants and a CT IDA Initiative, to provide 639 IDA accounts statewide. To date, 137 asset purchases have been made. Additionally, 33 participants have reached their savings goals and entered the asset purchase phase of the program

Technology/Website Enhancements

· More than 3.9 million people visited the agency Website in 2006, and the number exceeded two million for the first six months of 2007. Enhancements made to the agency’s Website include reorganization of information for easier reference. UI Board of Review decisions can be retrieved back to 1945, and comprehensive statewide employment, education, and training options, as well as most agency forms can now be filled out online.

· The Tax Division expanded its customer service to the state’s approximately 98,000 businesses by developing an Internet registration system and a quarterly tax filing system that includes the ability to pay electronically any monies that are due. Working with providers of commercial desktop payroll software and the Department of Revenue Services, the Division provides employers with a system to file state withholding and state unemployment insurance taxes in one electronic transmission. If the employer chooses, the transmission can include electronic payment as well.

· The Unemployment Insurance Adjudications and Appeals Divisions implemented an Electronic Document Management System that allows for greater efficiency in handling disputed claims. The new system reduces paperwork, as parties involved in the disputed claim can fax information directly into the system in electronic format. This allows for speedier and more consistent document distribution if an appeal is filed by claimant or employer.

· The agency upgraded the Workforce Investment System’s Approved Training Program List by simplifying its entry and display screens, enabling the Workforce Investment Board administrators to efficiently enter and edit training programs and providers.

· A Wage or Workplace complaint form can now be filed online through the agency’s Website. The annual adjusted prevailing wage rates are easily accessible and other required forms will be fillable online in the near future.

Outreach Efforts/New Publications

· The agency continued to offer a Speaker’s Bureau comprised of diverse group of agency experts who speak on a wide range of topics relating to employment law compliance, worker health and safety, labor market information, workforce development, unemployment insurance and other issues within the Department’s jurisdiction. Interested associations or civic groups may request speakers via telephone, fax, or through the agency Website.

· An Employee Benefits In Connecticut 2006 report was published – providing private and public business leaders and workers in Connecticut with information specific to the state that before now was largely unavailable. The report outlines employee benefits offered to Connecticut workers by their employers. It contains distinct information on the type of benefits offered across all private industries, including detailed estimates of the percentage of workers receiving these benefits.

· In January 2007, the Equal Opportunity Unit published the agency’s first Language Assistance Plan outlining how the Department of Labor will ensure access to its programs and services for persons with limited English proficiency.

· DOL added new topics to its successful Employer Education Breakfast Seminar Series. Seminar choices now include: Employment Law Made Simple, Unemployment Insurance 101, Connecticut’s Family and Medical Leave Act and Drug Testing in the Connecticut Workplace. These seminars educate human resource personnel, business owners, attorneys and other interested parties about Connecticut employment laws. Over 300 participants attended seminars during the past year. Staff also spoke before approximately 45 different worker, employer, and governmental groups and trade associations regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act, unemployment compensation law and other workplace legal issues with more than 1,000 individuals attending.

· The Office of Research held a series of Labor Market Information (LMI) workshops for more than 300 employees of the state’s One-Stop system, business, community colleges, high schools, and faith-based service providers. Through the training, participants are informed about labor market information publications and their availability as information sources.

· A new brochure, Filing for Unemployment Insurance, was developed in print and electronic formats and is available in English, Spanish and Polish to publicize the TeleBenefits and WebBenefits options for filing unemployment claims.

· CONN-OSHA’s monthly Employer Roundtable Discussion series attracted approximately 50 attendees to each 90-minute session. The free events feature guest speakers, panel discussions and an overview of state and federal safety and health regulations for the workplace.

· Apprenticeship Training increased its outreach efforts with an informational breakfast and photo display held in March at the Legislative Office Building (LOB). Attended by 300 legislators, community organizations, union representatives and apprentices, the event helped to promote the apprenticeship program and its benefits to both workers and employers. The event included informational tables at the LOB staffed by various companies, unions, agencies and organizations that support Apprenticeship’s “Earn As You Learn” concept.

· The Office of Diversity and Equity Programs implemented a comprehensive Upward Mobility Program for all employees. It has been complemented with the development of an agency mentoring program to assist line and supervisory staff with career objectives.

Labor Laws/Legislation

· The Wage and Workplace Standards Division administers a wide range of workplace laws, such as the minimum wage (currently $7.65 per hour) overtime laws, wage payment laws, prevailing wage and employment of minors along with other workplace laws. These are all contained in Title 31, chapters 557 and 558 of the state statutes.

· Agency attorneys handled cases alleging violation of laws within DOL’s jurisdiction, including the state Family and Medical Leave Act. Staff received a total of 62 FMLA complaints and 24 complaints involving allegations of retaliation for filing wage claims, applying for unemployment benefits, or filing OSHA complaints. The agency dismissed or settled 43 cases. In 13 cases that were settled, approximately $200,000 was obtained for the complainants.

· Effective July 1, 2007, in accordance with Public Act 06-175 An Act Concerning Construction Safety and CGS Section 31-53b, each manual laborer on a contract of more than $100,000 for a public building must show proof that they have completed a ten-hour OSHA safety and health training course. Effective Jan. 1, 2007, Public Act 06-139, An Act Concerning Protection of Minors In The Workplace And Fourteen-Year-Olds Employed As Caddies, penalties were increased for violations of child labor laws. The new legislation criminalizes child labor law violations and allows the Wage and Workplace Division unit to refer more serious violations to prosecutors for criminal penalties between $2,000 and $5,000 and up to five years imprisonment. Civil penalties have been increased from $300 to $600 per violation.

· Agency attorneys issued advisory opinions in 480 individual Unemployment Insurance cases and approximately 100 multi-claimant decisions. Approximately 45 appeals, written arguments and motions were submitted to the Board of Review and Appeals Referees.

· Office of Program Policy staff conducted training sessions on the application of a new law passed Oct. 1, 2006 regarding unemployment compensation eligibility for individuals limited to part-time employment due to a physical or mental impairment.

Special Recognitions/Awards

· The Connecticut Department of Labor has earned a Silver Innovation prize for its ‘WebBenefits’ system that allows customers to file for unemployment benefits via the Internet. Awarded by the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership, Inc., recipients are recognized for innovation and managing quality improvement for business success and growth. With approximately 50,000 citizens in Connecticut filing a claim for unemployment benefits weekly, WebBenefits ensures a more efficient system for filing claims, serving customers, and freeing up staff to help people find new jobs. As a result of the browser-based, Internet claims system, approximately 30 percent of all weekly claims are now being filed via the Internet. Telephone traffic to the agency’s voice response system has been reduced and wait times to access the agency’s telephone menu of services has been decreased by 25 percent. Internet filers often can complete a claim filing transaction in less than one minute, while in contrast, a telephone call to file a claim takes an average of six minutes.

· The Connecticut Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CONN-OSHA) won the agency an OSCAR, also known as an On-site Consultation Achievement Recognition Award, for having one of the best consultation programs in the country. The safety consultation program is provided to private and public sector companies at no charge. The OSCAR, given by federal OSHA officials, was awarded for the quality of the consultations and the fact that safety personnel from CONN-OSHA were invited to visit 436 worksites throughout Connecticut last year. On-site consultation services include ergonomic evaluations, review of occupational injury and illness records, health and safety training and education, indoor air quality surveys, job hazard analysis, and noise monitoring. At the request of the employer, CONN-OSHA experts visit a company, tour the facility, and work with management and employees to strengthen workplace safety and health practices.

Information Reported as Required by State Statute

Violations on Wages and Hours

· The Wage and Workplace Division staff recovered a record $8.7 million in legally due wages for employees over the past year. This amount included $3.2 million recovered by wage enforcement agents responding to 3,449 complaints, $1.9 million under Connecticut’s prevailing wage law, $1.7 million in minimum wage and overtime and $1.9 regarding service contracts on state property. The Division also issued 1,024 citations for child labor law violations and collected $722,874 in civil penalties for all violations. There were 69 cases opened dealing with Connecticut’s Family and Medical Leave Act.

Unemployment Compensation

· Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits paid to unemployed workers totaled $590.8 million. Of that amount, $534.5 million was provided by employers paying quarterly UI taxes and $56.3 million was provided by non-taxable employers and other programs. Taxes paid by more than 99,709 employers whose employees were covered by Unemployment Insurance totaled $549.3 million.

Population and Employment Data

· The Office of Research completes special state, local, or sub-state regional studies and economic analyses to provide information support for economic transition, workforce development initiatives, education program analysis and development, and responses to major layoffs or disasters. Strategies for addressing issues such as labor gaps, and for positioning the State’s educational and workforce systems to be able to respond quickly to critical areas of workforce need, are a fundamental part of the Governor’s vision for Connecticut’s workforce and economic development efforts.

Occupational Analysis Products

· The Connecticut’s Investment Employment Rising study explains how the state's "alternative investment" niche segments, such as hedge funds, are supplying the impetus for the current job growth. Benchmarking Growth in Demand-Driven Labor Markets presents an assessment of Connecticut’s economy and its potential for growth, given existing market forces, and provides recommendations regarding improvements in education, transportation, availability of affordable housing, and investments in industries that have a strategic advantage in the world economy.

· Higher Education…Building Connecticut’s Workforce is Connecticut’s first comprehensive report on labor market outcomes for graduates of the state’s public colleges and universities. The report summarizes employment and earnings results for students who graduated from one of the state’s 18 public colleges, and provides detailed information on the employed graduates by industry sector, college and degree program.

· Connecticut’s Labor Market Dynamics: Job Creation, Destruction, and Reallocation is a study that provides researchers, policymakers and others a glimpse into the dynamic underpinnings of the Connecticut and U.S. labor markets, from the perspective of observing the flows of job creation and destruction over time. This study yields critical insights into the processes that drive Connecticut’s economic fortunes and reveal what recent currents predict the state’s economic future. The study assists in identifying policies that foster a climate of sustained growth, promoting human capital investment, and aligning the supply and demand for skill sets.

CONN-OSHA

· Report on inspections: The Occupational Safety and Health Division (CONN-OSHA) conducted safety and/or health compliance inspections at 244 public worksites, affecting workplace conditions of 7,154 state and municipal employees. Violations were documented in 162 of those inspections, with citations for 218 serious and 476 other than serious violations.

· Report on consultations, training and clinics: CONN-OSHA provided safety and health consultations to 499 private-sector businesses that collectively employ 24,516 workers and to 144 public sector workplaces with a total of 13,184 employees. Additionally, safety training programs and outreach were provided to more than 6,826 employees or employer representatives. A total of $420,685 in state grants was administered to four occupational health clinics and 11 auxiliary occupational clinics through its Occupational Health Clinic Program.

Mediation and Arbitration

· During the year, a total of 796 grievances were filed for arbitration and 1,258 formal grievance arbitration hearings were scheduled, which resulted in 946 cases being successfully closed and 170 awards issued. Expiration notices on 225 private sector contracts were received. In compliance with State Statutes, the Board imposed binding arbitration on 228 municipal contracts and two state contracts. Mediators responded to a total of 303 requests for grievance mediation.