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Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims fell steeply last week, as claims spike and fall during the holidays. While this is typical for this time of year, claims are actually lower than they were last year. Most industrial sectors saw at least some decrease for the week, with Construction seeing the biggest increase while Manufacturing fell to under 40 claims.

The holidays typically produce wild swings in unemployment claims, because of an increase in hiring in the Service sector, from retail to delivery-related businesses, and then an abrupt round of layoffs. It is also represents the end of the construction season.

For the week of December 10, 2016, there were 666 claims, down 552 from the previous week's total and 53 fewer than than they were a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of Administration Trey Martin will return to private law practice with his former firm Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC, after Governor Peter Shumlin leaves office on January 5. According to a DRM statement, Martin will practice principally in the areas of land use, energy and environmental law and government affairs. He will start his new job on January 9 and work in the firm’s Montpelier office.

Trey Martin photo courtesy of DRM. Martin previously worked for DRM before moving into several positions in the Shumlin administration, most recently as Administration Secretary.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont is the 5th-best state for drivers, according to a new report from Bankrate.com. High scores for having the least number of auto thefts (#1), fewer incidents of car fatalities (#2) and below average insurance costs (#10) secured the state's top five rank. The cost of gasoline is higher than most states and repairs in Vermont are about average. Insurance in Vermont also tends to be relatively low. Iowa is the best state for drivers, according to a new Bankrate.com (NYSE: RATE) report. California is the worst. The study evaluated 50 US states based on several factors that impact drivers, including commute time, annual insurance premiums, gas expenditure, cost of car repairs, car thefts and auto fatalities. 

Iowa received first place due to its low insurance premiums, short commute times and less expensive auto repair costs. Ohio, Maine, Wisconsin and Vermont complete the top five states for drivers.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) issued a tersely worded statement last week on a further delay to the Middlebury rail tunnel project. The tunnel would replace two aging bridges. VTrans said it has been working with the Town of Middlebury and stakeholder groups in recent months to advance a project that replaces the two highway bridges in downtown that cross the rail line known as the Western Corridor.

Due to objections raised recently, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and VTrans said work will likely not begin in 2017. The delay will allow time for a more detailed examination of project risks under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Public Assets Institute Nonfarm payroll jobs decreased in November to 315,000 —a drop of more than 1,000 jobs since January. But the total number of employed Vermonters, both payroll workers and those who are self-employed, has held steady for most of 2016, up less than 1 percent since the start of the year.

Vermont Business Magazine Legislation authored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) to help ensure that the criminal justice system functions fairly was signed into law on Friday by President Obama. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act aims to reduce the rape kit backlog by supporting grant programs that fund forensic testing. 

The bill, introduced by Leahy and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), also renews the Innocence Protection Act, a landmark Leahy law which includes the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program.  That program facilitates the use of post-conviction testing of DNA evidence that can exonerate the wrongly convicted and hold the guilty accountable.  The Justice for All Reauthorization Act also requires the Justice Department to assist state and local governments to improve their indigent defense systems and ensures implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act.

Vermont Business Magazine A new public alert was reported early Sunday morning by the Rutland Wastewater Treatment Facility in Rutland. The following are Public Alerts submitted by Wastewater Treatment Facilities for prompt public awareness of untreated discharges and their locations. These alerts have been directly reported by Wastewater Treatment Facilities and may have not yet been reviewed by the State.

Wastewater Treatment facilities are required to submit a public alert as soon as possible, but no longer than one hour from discovery of an untreated discharge from the wastewater treatment facility. This time requirement is extended to no longer than four hours if the operator does not have telephone or internet service at the location or they are working to control or stop the untreated discharge. Additional details regarding sewage overflows and incidents are required to be reported within 12 hours of discovery and available below.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor-elect Phil Scott Friday announced the appointment of former Burlington Police Chief Michael Schirling as Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) and Lindsay Kurrle as Commissioner of the Department of Labor (DOL). Both posts are members of the governor’s cabinet.

“My entire administration will have a laser focus on economic growth and prioritize policies that strengthen the economy and make Vermont affordable for families and businesses.  At the very center of this effort will be work by ACCD and DOL because they will be charged with revitalizing our ability to expand the workforce, help workers and businesses be more competitive, and retain and recruit good jobs,” said Governor-elect Scott.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont's unemployment rate dropped one-tenth in November to 3.2 percent, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The results were mixed, as the number of employed increased and the number of unemployed decreased, but the labor force also decreased, which has been an ongoing trend. Both non-farm seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted employment were down. Vermont remains tied for seventh lowest in the nation. New Hampshire held onto the top spot with South Dakota at 2.7 percent. The national unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in November, down from 4.9 percent in October, and 0.4 percentage point lower than in November 2015.

Vermont Business Magazine Sugarbush Resort plans to open every trail at Mt Ellen Friday, December 16, in large part thanks to the abundance of natural snow the Sugarbush has received to start the season. Green Mountain Express will run 8 am to 4 pm and upper mountain lifts will run 9 am to 3:45 pm. Mt Ellen Base Lodge will be serving breakfast and lunch beginning at 7:30 am, and the Green Mountain Lounge will be open for lunch and après beginning at 11 am. The new bar at the Glen House, Walt’s, will have its grand opening on Friday serving gourmet grilled cheeses, soups, and a new bar.

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College has been named to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the Top 300 Best College Values of 2017. Schools making the list “embody exceptional academic quality and affordability,” according to Kiplinger’s. Saint Michael’s also was a Kiplinger’s Best College Value of 2016. Introduced in 1998, the rankings highlight public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges that combine outstanding academics with affordable cost, and this year combine those three categories into a single, comprehensive list. In addition, Kiplinger has ranked the top 100 best values in each category, and Saint Michael’s earned a spot on the magazine’s list of “100 best values in private universities.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) will focus efforts on redefining the definition of independent contractor and financing the clean up of the state’s lakes and rivers during the 2017 legislative session. The statewide business organization with more than 750 members announced these initiatives and others Thursday morning during a sold-out Legislative Breakfast at Main Street Landing in Burlington. The organization also honored Representative Helen Head, (D)-South Burlington, the chair of the House General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee, with the Legislator of the Year Award for her work and leadership in helping pass key employment bills.

Head accepted the award at the meeting, before an audience of more than 150 people.