2015 wasn’t as good as it looked
Revised figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show fewer Vermonters were employed in 2015 than originally reported. Each March, the BLS reviews and revises data previously released. The earlier figures indicated on average 2,500 more people employed each month than the revised figures show. Vermont employment grew for a while after the recession, but has been dropping steadily over the last five years.
Jobs overcounted
The BLS also overestimated the number of non-farm payroll jobs for most months in 2015. During the spring and summer, Vermont had about 2,000 fewer private sector jobs on average than first reported. The revisions show that job growth for the second half of 2015 was stronger than originally thought, however. The private sector did not lose as many jobs in December as was believed and finished the year with a net gain of about 1,600 jobs.
Back despite snowlessness
Employers added 2,700 jobs in January, the best month in more than a year. January also marked a turnaround from December, when a lack of snow led to the loss of more than 1,100 payroll jobs. Vermont’s unemployment rate also declined slightly in January, to 3.4 percent from 3.5 percent the previous month.
