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Rutland continues to lag in jobs



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By Bruce Edwards STAFF WRITER - Published: November 21, 2009

Rutland's unemployment picture improved in October, but remains the highest in the state.

The Rutland area unemployment rate dropped 0.7 percent in October to 8 percent, according to the monthly state unemployment report released Friday by the state Department of Labor.

The statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October was 6.5 percent, down 0.2 percent from the revised September rate and up 1.6 points from a year ago.

"Vermont's unemployment rate fell again in October due to small declines in both the number of unemployed and the number of persons participating in the labor force," Patricia Moulton Powden, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor, said in a press release.

Although the number of unemployed in the state has been declining since the second quarter, Powden said Vermont's labor market has not recovered.

"We are still not seeing any significant job growth," she said. "We believe some of the decline in unemployment is due to workers leaving the labor force due to demographic factors such as retirements or because of the early recovery in financial markets."

In the Rutland area, most of the October hiring was related to Killington and Pico gearing up for the ski season, said Larry Sudlow, manager of the Rutland and Bennington offices of the Department of Labor.

Sudlow said The Vermont Country Store began hiring for the upcoming holiday season and fuel oil dealers were busy hiring as well.

"That probably accounts for most of the hiring we saw in October," Sudlow said. "At the same time, I think we might be starting to see some people drop out of the labor force, which probably accounts for some of the rest of that drop (in October's unemployment).

When seasonally adjusted, October jobs remained essentially flat from September to October. Education and health services showed the largest growth with 1,400 jobs while leisure/hospitality and manufacturing saw the biggest declines.

Unemployment rates for Vermont's 17 labor market areas ranged from 3.7 percent in Hartford to 8 percent in Rutland. Local labor market area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

For comparison, the October unadjusted unemployment rate for Vermont was 5.9 percent, down 0.5 percent from September 2009 and up 1.5 points from a year ago.

The following are October unemployment rates by labor market:

Barre-Montpelier – 5.8 percent.

Bennington – 6.6 percent.

Bradford – 6.1 percent.

Brattleboro – 5.8 percent.

Burlington-South Burlington – 5.2 percent.

Hartford – 3.7 percent.

Manchester – 6.2 percent.

Middlebury – 5.6 percent.

Morristown-Stowe – 5.7 percent.

Newport – 7.6 percent.

Randolph – 7 percent.

Rutland – 8 percent.

Springfield – 6.8 percent.

St. Johnsbury – 6.7 percent.

Swanton-Enosburg – 6.8 percent.

Warren-Waitsfield – 4.9 percent.

Woodstock – 4.2 percent.

bruce.edwards@rutlandherald.com








READER COMMENTS


Lizr, I'm confused as to how you can relate the Constitution with the likes of Robert Reich and John Galbraith. First of all The Berkeley professor (that should tell you something), Mr.Reich stated at an economic recovery meeting on Jan. 7, 2009 that the Obama stimulus funds being given to businesses in the construction industry should be withheld from "white males" because "there are other people who have needs as well". Gee, doesn't sound very Constitutional to me to withhold gainful employment specifically "from white males". And as far as Galbraith goes, he was a liberal progressive and he believed and extolled the virtues of government having a large part in the business community in order to keep it regulated, simply put. And from what I recall from the Constitution, it was for limited government in the lives of American citizens. As Mr. Thayer so aptly put it here "Rich people are the ones that create jobs, invest their money and expand business opportunity for all! I do not know of one poor person who has created jobs for people". And furthermore your idea about developing "green jobs and renewable energy sources" in order to get our county rolling just isn't going to cut it I'm afraid. If you hadn't already heard, this global warming scare is just about finished. The hoax has been all but uncovered and frankly people aren't buying it anymore. So, the best thing to do is lower taxes, offer incentives in order to court all business to relocate here. We also need better, affordable internet technology throughout the entire state, not just the bigger cities. People like to live in the outskirts and so the technology must be there to offer to them also. This state has been hijacked by what I like to call the "leftover hippies" and it's about time the real, down to earth common Vermonters stand up and take back the state. No more looking at the world through the "rose colored glasses" that the progressive liberal types love to look through. This is the real world, not fantasy Xanadu land. Stop allowing the state government to legislate laws that handcuff any business that doesn't fit into the "green, Birkenstock society". Elect leaders that truly believe in "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" and Capitalism!
-- Posted by Harley None on Tue, Nov 24, 2009, 1:34 pm EST

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I would absolutely agree that more jobs are needed, and more good jobs. it would be great to see more green jobs and renewable energy sources created in Rutland. That is where the growth in jobs is predicted. And eventually the demand for renewables, with economy of scale, will bring the prices down. But we'll have to choose between being a pretty theme park and looking at windmills.

But you have to give your kids decent conditions to grow up in in order to get an education and fill those jobs.. Right now that is not happening.

No cuts in social services? What world do you live in? BROC in Rutland is barely surviving, food stamp and social services workers have many more people - their caseloads are bulging, food is tight all over town at the Food Banks. The discount food stores are packed with formerly working people. Families with little kids are sleeping in cars, and it will be below zero soon. Then what?

There are families who cannot put together enough $$ to get into Rutland's overpriced apartments, with rents jacked up high despite the need and the economic situation. Greed is still a big feature here.

What will you stingy town fathers say if a child freezes in Rutland City or Town this winter because of inadequate funding for social services?

If it happens, I guarantee it will be in the New York Times - and we will see some very unwelcome publicity about our town that is trying to get better. The whole country will get to see up close and personal how selfish some people in Rutland are. Not all, by far. But the selfish are the loudest voices on these comment pages. Amazing for a community with so many churches.

Let's avoid this possible outcome by taking a personal interest in our neighbors, even those on the "wrong side of the tracks" and making sure people in Rutland are cared for this winter, for starters.
-- Posted by lizr None on Tue, Nov 24, 2009, 9:37 am EST

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If you read the other artcle here "What stops renewables" you'll read that at a meeting of all the democratic governor candidates there is no talk from any of them about changing Vermonts direction. In fact they all commit to wanting to close Vermont Yankee and put Vermonts future in the hands of the renewable energy crowd who are charging 4 to 6 times as much for their electricity from windmills and solar fars no one wants in their back yard. With the present group of politicians in Montpelier Vermonts only future, outside of Burlington, is that of a nature park with it's government andlow paying tourism jobs.
-- Posted by ex-vermonter None on Tue, Nov 24, 2009, 6:32 am EST

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Greg - Poor people create jobs. Someone has to be on the payroll to fill the outstretched hands. You never hear about layoffs at social services, the umemployment office, social security office, fuel assistance, etc...
-- Posted by the truth on Tue, Nov 24, 2009, 1:22 am EST

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the rich are paying less in taxes than before, and I dont see a whole lot of jobs being created. The public sector will have to jump in - and help keep people from freezing in their cars this winter in Rutland.
-- Posted by lizr None on Tue, Nov 24, 2009, 12:37 am EST

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The problem is that people blame everyone else. Stop the finger pointing and get the job done. Rep or Dem or Ind they're all to blame in some way or another. Grow up and lets work together to bring good, well paying jobs to Rutland and Vermont as a whole.

We need jobs in Rutland, and I have been in the trenches. I believe that we need less regulation, a unified regulation policy and one-form system with nominal fees, low taxes, a highly trained workforce, and the government and private sectors working together to help all the people.

I must say one other thing, taxing the rich, why? Rich people are the ones that create jobs, invest their money and expand business opportunity for all! I do not know of one poor person who has created jobs for people. We must stop holding people down and show them how to raise up and make millions of dollars in the greatest country in the world through this free-enterprise system that we call CAPITALISM!

GOD Bless America!
-- Posted by Gregory Thayer on Mon, Nov 23, 2009, 4:49 pm EST

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For those who want to educate themselves at a deeper level about what is really going on, please check out the main article about Krugman v the NYT on the huffingtonpost right now.

Easy enough to find, but I cannot post a link - the format here blocks me.
-- Posted by lizr None on Mon, Nov 23, 2009, 12:19 pm EST

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upshot - if you want to complain about the job situation in Rutland, call the Governor!

You might ask him to restore train service to Burlington, where the jobs are, just one idea.
-- Posted by lizr None on Mon, Nov 23, 2009, 11:59 am EST

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The Legislature sets the direction and policies are in place to take care of problems like those mentioned in Bellows Falls. Unfortunately the Executive Branch, the Governor, decides how many personnel are in place to execute such policies.

When the governor wants to make a point about how the Democrats cant run the state properly, all he has to do is cut personnel in key areas so important business can't get done. That has certainly happened in Rutland.

The conventional wisdom is that Rutland is being punished for turning Democratic in recent elections, by such cuts in services. Life is hell here for poor people; all you need to do is check out the bus system, for just one example, run very badly by an extremely highly paid political crony.

You want continued job paralysis? Vote for the Dubie continuation of the Republican administration. Remember Jim Equals Jobs? We've all experienced the veracity of that claim. Ha Ha.

Meanwhile our job situation also exists in a national perspective where the taxation system has facilitated a radical re -distribution of wealth from the poor and middle class to the Upper Class - if the true extent of this were known there would be a major tax revolution. Class Warfare has been going on since Reagan. And now Vt's rich pay a smaller proportion of taxes in this recession than in the Reagan days.

Small business people need to realize that the Republican Party and the overrated Chamber of Commerce (200,000 members instead of the millions they erroneously claim nationwide - what a joke!) have the interests of BIG BUSINESS, not small business in mind. Laws, taxation policies etc PUNISH small business, reward the companies that are big, including the TOO BIG TO FAIL.

Time to study the Constitution, read more Robert Reich and Galbraith and other political economics types and begin to realize that small business' interests (and I used to own one) are SEPARATE and not represented by Republicans.
-- Posted by lizr None on Mon, Nov 23, 2009, 11:55 am EST

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A friend of mine works for a machine shop in Bellows Falls. They needed to expand and asked the State of Vermont for help. They never heard back from any state agency. So they bought land in New Hampshire and built a new facility there. When they were moving their equipment, all sorts of Vermont State agency people beat their chests and declared: "This is terrible. You should have let us know you were leaving so we could have helped you stay in Vermont." Why are so many businesses leaving Vermont? Now we know.
-- Posted by Michael in Vermont on Sat, Nov 21, 2009, 3:07 pm EST

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This state has to realise it is growing and needs to entice business and industry to sustain itself. I see our children leaving this state every day for opportunities elsewhere. Vermont will not survive as a welfare and unemployment state. I love this state and I hate to see it going down the crapper. As the population grows, industry is disappearing. There needs to be a serious movement to entice new and help existing businesses. Maybe a group to go out and actually look for businesses looking to start a new branch or build a new industry here. Make concessions that appeal to them. Wouldn't it make sense to give them tax breaks and such to create jobs and decrease the unemployment lines before a few workers are paying for the many?
-- Posted by Concerned Citizen on Sat, Nov 21, 2009, 1:50 pm EST

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This is grim indeed.
-- Posted by Scott Frank on Sat, Nov 21, 2009, 1:27 pm EST

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That's what happens when Rutland makes it difficult for business's to operate, that's why people are building around Rutland so they won't have to deal with all the B.S.
-- Posted by Dwayne Johnson on Sat, Nov 21, 2009, 9:38 am EST

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This is what happens when the State makes it difficult for small businesses to operate and not allowing new business in.
-- Posted by Ann Marie None on Sat, Nov 21, 2009, 8:26 am EST

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