Conn. Labor Commissioner to Retire After 3 Years on Job

Governor Dannel P. Malloy has announced that Labor Commissioner Sharon Palmer will retire at the end of the year.

During Palmer's tenure, the Labor Department increased its efforts to halt job misclassification that illegally treats employees as independent contractors to avoid paying employment-related taxes while also reducing tax revenue.

She is credited with establishing a partnership with the Division of Criminal Justice to combat unemployment insurance fraud. The state says more than $800,000 has been recovered.

The 71-year-old Palmer also is credited with helping win a $5 million federal grant to increase apprenticeship programs in high-demand fields such as manufacturing, health care and construction.

Palmer, a former president of the Connecticut chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, was appointed by Malloy in 2012 and reappointed earlier this year.