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Editorial Greg Bordonaro | Editor, ext. 139 gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com Drew Larson | Web Editor, ext. 121 alarson@hartfordbusiness.com Michael Puffer | Staff Writer, ext. 145 mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Real Estate, Economic Development, Banking & Finance Hanna Snyder Gambini | Staff Writer hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com Beat: Economic Development Robert Storace | Staff Writer, ext. 127 rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Health Care, Higher Education, Arts & Culture Skyler Frazer | Staff Writer, ext. 145 sfrazer@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Manufacturing, Cannabis, Technology, Transportation Stephanie R. Meagher | Lead Researcher Heide Martin | Research Assistant Steve Laschever | Photographer Business Tom Curtin | Publisher, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com David Hartley | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 130, dhartley@HartfordBusiness.com Daniel Schilke | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 135, dschilke@HartfordBusiness.com Emily Paskind | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 133, epaskind@hartfordbusiness.com Matthew Anzolletti | Senior Accounts Manager manzolletti@Hartfordbusiness.com C.203.886.8588 Tracy Rodwill | Human Resources Manager trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Production Bartosz Zinowko | Production Director, ext. 147 bzinowko@hartfordbusiness.com HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 3, 2023 3 Biz Briefs Nonstop flights from Bradley to Ireland resume F or the first time in two years, travelers can visit Ireland via a nonstop flight from Bradley International Airport. Aer Lingus on March 26 resumed its nonstop service from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks to Dublin, Ireland. The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) said the service operates daily through the end of October via Aer Lingus' Airbus A321neo LR aircraft. The service offers connectivity to 28 UK and Euro- pean airports, including those in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and Prague. The CAA said the service is expected to operate on a seasonal basis until there's year-round demand following the return of business travel. Aer Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton said the company is the only European airline operating out of Bradley. Bronin holds line on Hartford's property tax rate in fiscal 2024 budget Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin delivered his eighth and final "State of the City" address to the City Council March 27, touting a laundry list of challenges met, progress made and efforts underway. "Tonight, I want to start where I usually end: the state of our city is strong," Bronin said in an address delivered with his $619.1 million budget proposal. "Its strength doesn't come from the budget I'm going to talk about, or from this building. It doesn't come from me as mayor or from any other elected leaders. Hartford is strong because the people of Hartford are strong." Bronin's 2024 budget proposal maintains the city's 68.95 mill rate, which was reduced last year from 74.29 mills. It also represents a 3.3% increase in spending. Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary will not run for reelection this November After nearly a dozen years with a firm grip on Waterbury politics, Mayor Neil O'Leary confirmed at his annual State of the City address on March 23 that he will not seek reelection this fall. "I've loved every minute of it but I'm going to be 65 this year," O'Leary told the Hartford Business Journal outside the event. "When you turn 65, you realize you are not invincible." O'Leary said he intends to remain involved with Waterbury's progress, whether that's in a professional or volunteer capacity. The main thing, he said, is to dial back the non-stop demands of political life, freeing more time for family. Warm weather boosts hiring in CT; workers still quitting at higher rate Connecticut's labor market recorded another month of job gains in February, inching the state closer to a full recovery from the pandemic. The state added 5,600 jobs in February, according to the state Department of Labor, which followed 8,800 job gains in January. Mild weather in the Northeast is helping boost employment to start the year, labor officials said. "Overall, this is a good jobs report showing continued economic growth and stability for Connecticut," said Patrick Flaherty, director of the labor department's office of research. "The warm weather is most likely accelerating hiring that normally happens later in the spring." Despite the gains, Connecticut's unemployment rate did tick up slightly to 4%. The U.S. unemploy- ment rate is 3.6%. Connecticut has now recovered 96.5% (279,100) of the 289,100 jobs lost during the 2020 COVID lockdown period, labor officials said. Meantime, the state's labor market remains tight. The voluntary quit rate in Connecticut is above pre-pandemic levels with 34,000 employees leaving their jobs in January, most going to new jobs. However, the state's overall 2% quit rate is tied for third lowest in the country. Connecticut employers currently have 97,000 job openings, well above pre-pandemic levels. Even still, at 5.5%, the state has the second-lowest jobs-opening rate in the country. GoNetspeed debuts new Berlin command center High-speed internet provider GoNetspeed has officially debuted a new Berlin facility that will serve as its primary command center for locally based construction, HR and field tech teams. About 50 people work at the center located at 24 New Park Dr., the company said. GoNetspeed provides high-speed 100% fiber internet and has been steadily growing its Connecticut foot- print in recent years. The company said it has thousands of individual and business customers in the state serving much of central Connecticut. GoNetspeed is backed by New York City private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners. Former DCP Commissioner Seagull named CSCU compliance officer Former Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) Commissioner Michelle Seagull has been tapped for a newly-created compliance officer role within the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) system. Seagull is responsible for estab- PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary. HBJ FILE PHOTO GoNetspeed and Berlin town officials at a grand opening of the company's new command center on New Park Drive. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED