Economy

Connecticut, with limited farmland and few natural resources, has, for more than a century, concentrated on manufacturing and commerce. Services, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade are the leading sources of employment in the state. Federal, state, and local government are also important sources of jobs.

A large number of major insurance companies have their headquarters in Connecticut, chiefly in Hartford, which is often called the "Insurance Capital of the World." Also significant in the economy is tourism; people flock to the state's historic, scenic, and recreational attractions.

The strength of Connecticut's economy is reflected partly by the state's high per capita income—one of the highest in the United States. Fairfield County, especially in the extreme southeast, contains a number of particularly wealthy communities, such as Darien, Greenwich, and Weston. Many of the residents are executives or professional persons. Some work in New York City, while others work nearby; some of the nation's largest firms have their corporate headquarters and executive offices in this area, especially in and around Greenwich and Stamford.

Connecticut is especially noted for the manufacture of precision products requiring high-quality workmanship. The manufacture of defense-related products is especially important.

Metalworking—a legacy, in part, of colonial times and the early 19th century—accounts for most of the employment in the manufacturing sector of Connecticut's economy and most of its production. Items range from needles to the most technologically advanced machinery and equipment. The chief products are transportation equipment, mechanical and electrical machinery, fabricated metal products, and precision instruments. Connecticut ranks high, in some cases leading the nation, in the output of such items as aircraft engines and other aerospace parts and components, helicopters, bearings, machine tools, silverware, and hardware. The principal nonmetallic goods manufactured here are chemicals.

The main manufacturing areas are the cities and towns along the coast and in the Connecticut Lowland. Some of the cities, even though their production is usually diverse, are known for one or more specific products. New Britain, for example, is particularly noted for hardware, Meriden for silverware, East Hartford for jet engines, and Groton for nuclear submarines.

Some of Connecticut's traditional industries have greatly declined in recent decades because of outside factors. The watch and textile industries, for example, have suffered from severe competition; the felt-hat industry, from changing fashions.

Farming has steadily given way to other economic activities in Connecticut for many decades and is presently of limited importance. Only about 10 per cent of the state is occupied by farms. Farm products, for the most part, are those readily marketable in nearby urban areas.

Crops are the chief source of farm income. Especially important are greenhouse products and nursery stock (trees and shrubs for landscaping). Various kinds of fruits and vegetables are also produced. Cigar-wrapper tobacco, long a valuable specialty crop, has declined in importance.Dairy products and poultry make up the chief source of income derived from livestock. Since these products do not require good agricultural land, they are well suited to conditions in the state, especially in the upland areas.

Connecticut's fishing industry has been declining for some years and is now quite small. The pollution of coastal waters has been one of the chief causes for the decline; it has especially affected the supply of lobsters, oysters, scallops, and clams, which, nevertheless, are still the most important part of the catch (by value).

Lumbering, too, plays a small role in Connecticut's economy. Most of the timber that is cut consists of second-growth hardwoods and is used by industries within New England. Until well into the 19th century, the state's forests provided abundant wood for buildings and ships and for use as fuel.

There are few mineral resources of commercial value in the state. Stone, and sand and gravel, used primarily by the construction industry, account (by value) for nearly all mineral production. Also important are the production of feldspar, clays, and granite.

Connecticut is situated in the midst of one of the most densely settled parts of the nation and has a well-developed transportation system. Because of its location and numerous transportation routes, Connecticut is often called the "Gateway to New England."

The road and highway network includes several high-speed expressways and segments of three Interstate routes. Expressways include the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways and Connecticut and John D. Lodge turnpikes.

Railways serve most urban centers of the state. Some Connecticut cities, such as New Haven, Stamford, and New London, are served by high-speed Amtrak trains running between Boston and New York. Thousands of Fairfield County residents commute by rail to and from work in New York.

Bradley International Airport, north of Hartford in Windsor Locks, is the largest and busiest air terminal in the state.

Maritime shipping is relatively small in volume. There are major ports at Bridgeport, New London, and New Haven. Smaller ports are at Stamford and Norwalk.