Vermont lacks available workers, not jobs
Nationally, the big news is that employers have added back more jobs than were lost in the pandemic. That’s not the case in all states, though, including Vermont. If employers here could find workers for their open positions, jobs would be at an all-time high, bringing the state above the 319,000 filled jobs it had at its peak in March 2019.
This is a tall order, because job openings in Vermont outnumber job seekers. In June there were more than three openings for each person looking for work. In contrast, at the end of the Great Recession, in June 2009, there were three workers for each available job. Increasing wages and opportunities for advancement, creating respectful workplaces, and improving other conditions might help fill these vacant positions. But it is still not clear what would encourage more people to seek work.
THIS MONTH
In July, Vermont employment—people currently holding jobs—was still down more than 18,000 workers compared with the start of 2020. Not a single Vermont county has recovered the number of employees it had before the pandemic. 
