Vermont’s unemployment rate fell again in April to a seasonally adjusted 3.6 percent.
The drop from 3.8 percent in March to 3.6 percent in April is statistically significant, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Vermont’s rate is now tied with South Dakota for fourth-lowest in the U.S.
Twenty-two other states saw their unemployment rates decrease in April, according to BLS. The national unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. In April 2014, Vermont’s unemployment rate was 4 percent.
Annie Noonan, commissioner of the Department of Labor, released a statement saying Vermont’s news is in line with the national economy and she encouraged Vermonters to visit local resource offices if they’re looking for work.
“Over the year, the private sector in Vermont is reporting an employment growth rate of 2.5 percent,” Noonan said. “This rate of growth is above Vermont’s current population growth. The tightening of the available labor market creates opportunities for advancement for Vermonters at all skill levels.”
Gov. Peter Shumlin released a statement saying Vermont added 1,800 jobs in April, 7,000 jobs since last year, and 16,800 jobs since he took office in 2011. Shumlin said the news “coincides with continued job growth.”
“We still have a lot of work to do to make Vermont’s economy work for every single [Vermonter], but today’s news shows we are moving in the right direction,” Shumlin said.
Vermont has 17 labor market areas, and the unemployment rates in those regions are not seasonally adjusted. The highest rates were 6.8 percent in Derby and 5.2 percent in St. Johnsbury. The lowest were 2.6 percent in Burlington and 3 percent in White River Junction.
The unemployment rate is an indicator that measures the percentage of people over age 16 who are actively seeking work but cannot find employment. The number does not include people who are not in the labor force.
