Job figures sag in December

Statewide, Vermont's December unemployment rate spiked one-half percent from the previous month to 6.9 percent – the result of fewer jobs and layoffs. Nationwide, the unemployment rate for December was 10 percent. Springfield, 7.1 percent.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100123/NEWS04/1230341

State job figures sag in Dec.

Newport worst in state with 9.2 percent jobless

Rutland Herald

By Bruce Edwards STAFF WRITER - Published: January 23, 2010

Newport supplanted Rutland last month as having the highest unemployment rate in the state.

But that had less to do with job growth locally than a jump in layoffs in the Newport area, according to a state Labor Department manager.

In fact, the Rutland area unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a percent to 8.3 percent in December – the second-highest in the state behind Newport, with an unemployment rate of 9.2 percent.

Statewide, Vermont's December unemployment rate spiked one-half percent from the previous month to 6.9 percent – the result of fewer jobs and layoffs.

The U.S. unemployment rate for December was 10 percent.

"All our labor market indicators were down in December, resulting in a fairly large increase in Vermont's unemployment rate," Patricia Moulton Powden, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor, said in a statement that accompanied the monthly unemployment numbers. "For example, there were a number of previously announced layoff events that took effect in late November and early December."

December is usually the best month for jobs. But Powden said while the state experienced an unadjusted increase in jobs last month, it was below historical levels.

"Since job levels and unemployment rates have been stable for several months now, we will have to wait and see if December was an anomaly," she said.

According to the state Department of Labor, the leisure and hospitality sector was the only sector to show any significant job growth, gaining 1,100 jobs last month.

Among Vermont's 17 labor market areas, Hartford was lowest at 4 percent. Local unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

From May through November, Rutland's unemployment rate was the highest in the state, hitting a jobless rate of 10.4 percent in May.

The Northeast Kingdom often has the highest unemployment rate, but Rutland experienced a number of plant closings and layoffs last year.

Although Rutland no longer has the highest unemployment rate, that has more to do with layoffs at the Ethan Allen furniture plant in Newport than any improvement in the Rutland job market, said Larry Sudlow, who manages the Rutland and Bennington labor department offices.

Sudlow also noted that Rutland's unemployment rate increased a bit last month.

"What I think probably happened is the Christmas hiring was just a little weaker than normal and probably the ski-related hiring was a little weaker than normal," Sudlow said. "Plus, we're seeing much more contractor layoffs than we normally do and obviously that's due to the economy."

On the positive side, he said there haven't been any major layoffs recently and new job orders are trickling in. He said most of the new job postings are in the hospitality and service sectors.

The following are the labor market unemployment rates for December:

Barre-Montpelier, 6.8 percent; Bennington, 7.1 percent; Bradford, 7.8 percent; Brattleboro, 6.2 percent; Burlington-South Burlington, 5.5 percent; Hartford, 4 percent; Manchester, 6.8 percent; Middlebury, 6.8 percent; Morristown-Stowe, 7.7 percent; Newport, 9.2 percent; Randolph, 7.7 percent; Rutland, 8.3 percent; Springfield, 7.1 percent; St. Johnsbury, 7.3 percent; Swanton-Enosburg, 8.1 percent; Warren-Waitsfield, 4.6 percent; Woodstock, 4.9 percent.