Blame wages, not inflation, if Vermont is ‘unaffordable’
Low wages, more than high prices, continued to stymie Vermonters struggling to make ends meet. In 2021 Vermont’s average annual wage of $56,296 was 83 percent of the national average, ranking 33rd in the U.S. The state’s wage also came in second lowest in New England, where the average annual wage ranged from $54,651 in Maine to $87,752 in Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, as inflation soared in 2021, prices did not increase as much in Vermont as in the U.S. overall. Prices in Vermont were slightly above the national average during the first year of the pandemic but fell just below it in 2021. These averages are based on price data gathered by the federal government for a variety of items, including food, transportation, housing, and medical services.
THIS MONTH
November data released Friday show 5.4 percent—or 18,660—fewer Vermonters working, compared with January 2020, before the pandemic. Nationally, employment nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels in early 2022 and has remained relatively unchanged since.
