Jobs were up, joblessness still low—but not uniformly
In his Jan. 5 Inaugural Address Gov. Phil Scott talked about the economic disparities between Vermont communities and the need to level the playing field. December’s unemployment rates highlight the challenges of doing so.
Overall, Vermont’s jobless rate ranked among the best in the country—tied for sixth lowest. But the rate in Orleans County was two and half times the rate in Chittenden County—5 percent versus 2 percent.
Jobs were also unequally distributed. The Vermont Department of Labor pointed out Tuesday that 90 percent of the new positions created in 2022 were in the greater Burlington area.
THIS MONTH
Vermont ended 2022 with over 10,000 more people working than at the start of the year. Coupled with a drop in the number of unemployed, the state’s labor force—employed plus unemployed and looking for work—rose by more than 9,000. Statewide, jobs increased too. Employers added 4,400 nonfarm payroll jobs from December 2021 to December 2022.
