Climbing employment faltered last month
Employment ticked down slightly in April. But the drop followed a slow 17-month growth trend. Vermont’s unemployment declined after the recession, but not all of the people who left the unemployment lines went back to work. Employment also dropped for many months, until 2015, when it began to climb again.
Lagging counties
As joblessness slid overall in Vermont, its northeastern and southwestern counties did not fare as well in 2016. In fact, while Vermont’s unemployment rate is typically well below the national average, two Northeast Kingdom counties—Essex and Orleans—suffered joblessness at higher than the national rate. Essex County’s unemployment rate was a full percentage point above the national average.
Workforce shrinkage
Vermont’s statewide labor force continued to shrink in 2016, and that was true in most counties. Where the force did increase, the growth was modest—less than 1 percent. The labor force includes people working and those officially unemployed, meaning they were actively looking for a job. The number of people employed increased last year by about 500, but the number who were jobless and seeking work dropped by about 1,100—a net workforce loss of about 600.
