Vermont’s Unemployment Rate Remained at 2.4 Percent in December

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2025

Contact: 
Mathew Barewicz, E & LMI Director, Department of Labor
802-828-4153 | mathew.barewicz@vermont.gov

Vermont’s Unemployment Rate Remained at 2.4 Percent in December

Today, the Vermont Department of Labor released data on the Vermont economy for the time period covering December 2024. According to household data, the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for December was 2.4 percent. This reflects no change from the prior month’s revised estimate. The civilian labor force participation rate was 65.5 percent in December, no change from the prior month’s revised estimate.

“The preliminary data for 2024 has now been released by the Department of Labor. Over the next two months, staff will refine this data through a federal review process, with updated historical figures expected in March and April. Throughout 2024, data findings indicate significant trends, including an expanding labor force and an increase in jobs within Vermont’s economy.

While the overall statewide trajectory has been positive, these gains appear to be concentrated in larger economic areas of the state. Additionally, other barriers to employment, such as available housing, have slowed the growth of Vermont’s labor force. The Department remains committed to improving educational and employment outcomes statewide, including Vermont’s more rural communities.

This February is Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month, highlighting the importance of CTE programs in providing critical skills and pathways to meaningful employment with Vermont businesses who are actively hiring. To learn more about CTE or Registered Apprenticeships, visit https://labor.vermont.gov or contact one of our employment specialists at 802-828-4394.”   - Michael Harrington, Commissioner

The Vermont seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 2.4 percent in December. The comparable United States rate in December was 4.1 percent, a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised November estimate. The seasonally-adjusted Vermont data for December show the Vermont civilian labor force decreased by 104 from the prior month’s revised estimate (see Table 1). The number of employed persons decreased by 346 and the number of unemployed persons increased by 242. None of the changes were statistically significant in the seasonally-adjusted series.

The December unemployment rates for Vermont’s 17 labor market areas ranged from 2.0 percent in Woodstock to 4.0 percent in Derby (note: local labor market area unemployment rates are not seasonally-adjusted – see Table 2). For comparison, the December unadjusted unemployment rate for Vermont was 2.5 percent, no change from the revised unadjusted November level and an increase of three-tenths of one percentage point from a year ago.

The Unemployment and Jobs Report for January is scheduled to be released on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

###

To view the full release, visit vtlmi.info.