[G]ov. Phil Scott is says he is encouraged by data that shows the state’s workforce is expanding and the economy is growing.
With charts in hand at a press outside the Department of Labor in Montpelier Wednesday, Scott said the state has added about 4,500 workers since the beginning of 2018.
He said the size of Vermont’s labor force is now about 349,400 people, the highest level since April 2011. That’s up from around 345,000 in September, an approximately 1.3 percent increase over that time frame.
At the lowest point in October 2016, Vermont labor force had contracted to about 330,000.
Labor force as a percentage of the total population has also steadily climbed, Scott said.
“These aren’t just statistics. We hear every day from businesses around the state who have good jobs and openings to fill, but are struggling to find the people to fill them,” he said.
Scott said the numbers show that his frequently mentioned “6-3-1” catchphrase for economic and social growth no longer applies. The figure represents six fewer Vermonters in the workforce every day, three fewer children in the public school system every day and one baby born each day to a mother addicted to opiates.
“This press conference today is not meant to declare victory, but instead to spotlight some encouraging trends while recognizing that we still have some big economic challenges in front of us,” he said.
Job growth has been one of Scott’s frequent talking points on the campaign trail as he seeks reelection.
Deputy Commissioner Michael Harrington said the Department of Labor has been working collaboratively with numerous state departments and agencies on workforce growth, targeting outreach to specific population segments.
The Department of Corrections is offering training for individuals preparing for release, he said. Workforce development staff have also been placed at addiction recovery centers in each region of Vermont.
“The focus had to change from a place-based system, where individuals and businesses come to us, to a people-based system, where services are delivered to them,” Harrington said.
The state has seen increased involvement in youth-geared initiatives. Harrington said this rise includes a 66 percent increase in the department’s summer employment program, and a 40 percent increase in work-based learning and apprenticeships over the past two years.
Scott said he attributes the growth to numerous factors including consumer confidence.
“Obviously some of this is nationally, the national economy is heating up, but our economy is heating up as well here in Vermont,” he said.
Growth nationally has been surging, with the U.S. economy seeing a 4 percent GDP increase in the second quarter of 2018. Experts attribute that boom to a rise in consumer spending, business investments and exports.
Federal tax cuts also took effect in January, aligning with the trend in economic improvements at the state level.
Keith Stern, the governor’s lone challenger in the Republican primary, scoffed at Scott’s economic claims in a statement.
Stern said economic improvement during the Scott administration can be linked to the $30 million surplus for fiscal 2019 due to federal tax reforms.
“In the absence of having done the hard work needed to provide actual tax cuts to the people and businesses in Vermont, the Governor is falsely branding a gift from D.C. and the massaging of allowable deductions as tax relief,” Stern said.
