Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor has announced an increase to the State’s minimum wage. Beginning January 1, 2026, the State’s minimum wage will increase from $14.01 to $14.42 per hour - an increase of $0.41.  This annual adjustment also impacts the minimum wage for tipped employees. The “Basic Tipped Wage Rate” for service, or “tipped employees,” equals 50% of the full minimum wage. On January 1, 2026, the tipped minimum wage will increase from $7.01 to $7.21 per hour.  The state’s tipped minimum wage law allows employers to pay a lower hourly rate, as long as the employee receives tips equal to, or greater to than, the standard minimum wage during a given shift. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor has announced the determination of the 2026 Unemployment Insurance (UI) Taxable Wage Base. Effective January 1, 2026, the Taxable Wage base will increase from its current level of $14,800 to $15,400 - an increase of $600.  Employers pay unemployment contributions based on initial wages earned annually by each of their employees up to a certain amount. This is known as the Taxable Wage Base. Under the new Taxable Wage Base, employers will pay UI contributions on the first $15,400 an employee earns in calendar year 2026.  

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released a sweeping report warning that artificial intelligence (AI) and automation could eliminate nearly 100 million American jobs over the next decade — while billionaires and corporate executives reap record profits. Sanders also published an op-ed in Fox News this morning elaborating his concerns and sharing ideas about how to ensure new technologies benefit every American, not just a handful of billionaires.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Farm to Institution Market Development (FTIMD) Grant! FTIMD connects Vermont farms to institutional market opportunities to help grow their agricultural businesses, while also increasing local food access for Vermonters through institutional food service. Farmers, food processors, producer associations, and supply chain facilitators (non-profits, food hubs, etc.) are invited to apply for projects that will: Increase sales for at least one local farm; and increase the amount of local food served at Vermont institutions, including schools, early childhood programs, hospitals, colleges, correctional facilities, etc. Awards will range from $10,000 to $30,000, with a 25% match requirement. 

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College will host a local author and anthropologist who will illuminate some of the hidden stories of migrant laborers working in the food industry discovered through her research. Teresa Mares, an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Vermont, will deliver a talk on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, at St. Mike's titled “No Farm [Workers] No Food: How Immigrant Labor Feeds Us All.” The talk, which will be held in the Roy Room of the College’s Dion Family Student Center, begins at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.    

Vermont Business Magazine Now students from almost half of Vermont households can earn a two- or four-year college degree at Vermont State University—tuition-free. Freedom & Unity, a new program managed by the Vermont Student Assistance Corp (VSAC) in partnership with Vermont State University (VTSU), provides free tuition to Vermonters with a household income of $65,000 or less, who do not have a bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in eligible undergraduate degree programs at VTSU. Freedom & Unity—named after Vermont’s state motto— was created by VSAC and VTSU with support from Governor Scott and the Vermont Legislature. The program builds upon VTSU’s Free Tuition Promise.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.15 per gallon, down 3.5 cents per gallon from last week's $3.18/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.85/g while the highest was $3.39/g, a difference of 54.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 0.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.08/g today. The national average is down 10.8 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 4.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

VermontBiz Autumn in Manchester is a season like no other — with crisp mountain air, vibrant foliage, and a strong sense of community spirit. This fall, both locals and visitors are invited to enjoy a lineup of festive, family-friendly events that highlight everything we love about this special time of year.

VermontBiz Red Fox Community School kicked off Fire Prevention Month by welcoming local firefighters and Red Fox parents, Nick Parks and Leslie Bledsoe, to teach students essential fire safety skills.

The day began with the school's first fire drill of the year, where students demonstrated excellent knowledge of safety protocols by evacuating quickly and calmly. Following the drill, Parks and Bledsoe shared critical fire safety information and provided students with goodie bags filled with educational materials, including magnets to help remind families to perform monthly smoke detector checks.

VermontBiz Andrew and Josh Jonestein visited Vermont on a whim in 2023, after catching glimpses of the state on social media. It was November — arguably the least inviting month of the year — but they were impressed by what they found. Over the next few months, they purchased a historic inn in Brookfield; pulled up their Texas roots, where they had been running a successful Airbnb; and made the move north.

They’ve spent the past year and a half restoring the historic 1840s property into the Green Trails Inn and Pond Village Pub, set to open in mid September.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Large infrastructure projects on interstates, highways, side roads and downtowns are a headache when you’re running late, or are running early and are about to be late. Some projects seem like they will never conclude. In some areas of the state, locals would be thankful to have the annoyance of construction, as there is in Chittenden County. These last dozen years have seen profound major developments in Vermont helped by low interest rates and plenty of federal spending.

So those factors have come to an end, except where projects were already underway. The construction labor market is still tight, which has been a choke point as credit is now. Still, alternative means of investment are continuing to provide housing project opportunities, as supply is still tight. And perhaps the Fed will cut interest rates at least a little, even as the overall economy can’t quite shake off inflation.

VermontBiz It’s been a busy year for construction in Vermont. We’ve seen growth across the board — from housing developments to flood recovery, but we’re still up against some tough realities. Contractors are working hard, but labor shortages and rising costs continue to hold us back.