Connecticut ranks dead last...again.

According to a Rockefeller Foundation analysis of state balance of payments with the federal government, Connecticut again ranks dead last. But there is good news--this time the balance is positive. Previous analyses have shown Connecticut with by far the worst per capita balance of payments deficit with the federal government--over $2000--when most states had a positive balance.

Many other states have made a sustained, focused effort to secure whatever federal funding they can get for both the state itself and for its municipalities, counties, and other political entities. This has typically paid off handsomely, capturing the federal dollars to which the state and its subunits are entitled and for which they can compete. It can mean billions of additional dollars flowing into their economies, improving employment, raising household incomes, and more.

Connecticut should get serious about capturing those federal dollars. The state did not recover in either jobs or real output from the contractions after 2008; its recovery from the COVID shutdowns now lags the national and regional recovery. Being more competitive for those federal dollars would make a meaningful contribution to restoring Connecticut's economic health.

Don't be mislead by the title: the study covers all 50 states. Connecticut ranks 50th!