Job Shortages
The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Connecticut employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $12.00 in Connecticut. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.
Potential Career Advancement
1) Waiters & Waitresses to Certified Food Manager
Waiters & Waitresses Job Description:
- Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in a restaurant
Entry Level Requirements:
- Food Handler Certification – not required by Connecticut state law, but employers may prefer it
- Obtain food Handler Certification online here ($7, 2 hours); click here to take exam in Español, 普通话, 한국어, Việt, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Serbo-Croatian
Certified Food Manager Job Description:
- Responsible for food safety to protect the public from illness as required by state regulations
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Pass the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification exam ($55, 1.5 hours)
- Online training courses are not required, but provide knowledge for the ANSI exam
2) Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerks to Accountant & Auditor
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerk Job Description:
- Compute, classify and record numerical data to keep financial records accurate and complete
Entry Level Requirements:
- Certification is not required by Connecticut law, but an associate’s degree is generally required
- Accounting training programs in Connecticut are listed here
Accountant & Auditor Job Description:
- Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization
Career Advancement Requirements:
- A Bachelor’s degree with Accounting concentration
- At least 2 years of accounting experience
- Pass the CPA exam (Approx. $900 with $170 application fee)
- Pass the AICPA Ethics Exam with minimum score of 90
- Social security number is required, but there is no citizenship or residency requirement
3) Registered Nurse to Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurse Job Description:
- Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and administer nursing care
Entry Level Requirements:
- Complete a state-approved nursing program
- Pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam ($200)
Nurse Practitioner Job Description:
- Diagnose and treat patients independently or as part of a healthcare team
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Earn a graduate degree in a chosen nursing specialization
- Become nationally certified by an accredited agency
- Apply for license
Immigration in Connecticut
The following are facts about the immigrant community in Connecticut:
- Immigrants comprise 15% of the state population and 18% of the Connecticut labor force
- Top industries of immigrant employment:
- Health Care and Social Assistance, 55,822 workers
- Manufacturing, 45,565 workers
- Retail Trade, 34,127 workers
- Educational Services, 31,219 workers
- Construction, 30,747 workers
- 47,440 immigrant business owners account for 24% of all self-employed Connecticut residents
- 53% of immigrants in Connecticut are naturalized and another 23% are undocumented
- Top foreign-born countries of origin:
- India, 9%
- Jamaica, 7%
- Dominican Republic, 5%
- Poland, 5%
- Ecuador, 5%
- About 16% of native-born Connecticuters are children of an immigrant
- Educational attainment of foreign born adults in Connecticut:
- High School diploma or less – 47%
- More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 19%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher – 34%
- Share of Brain Waste* – 20%
* Share of immigrant professionals, who are unemployed, employed at poverty-level wages in High School diploma or less jobs, or significantly underemployed in more than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree jobs
Sources
Jobs
Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, “Long Term Occupational Projection (2018-2028)”; http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, “Education and training assignments by detailed occupation,” 2019; https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
National Council of State Legislatures, “State Minimum Wages”, December 2020; http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx#Table
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by State, Seasonally adjusted”, November 2020; https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm
Potential Career Advancement
National Conference of State Legislatures, “The National Occupational Licensing Database”, March 2020: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/occupational-licensing-statute-database.aspx
Immigration
American Immigration Council, State by State Fact Sheet, August 2020; https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/state-by-state