Vermont’s unemployment rate unchanged at 2.6 percent in May

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Labor reported that the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for May was 2.6%. This reflects no change from April's revised estimate, and from December 2024, when it was 2.5%. However, the Labor Force and Employment have been losing ground slightly every month this year. Over the last two years, the Labor Force peaked at 357,467 in January 2025, as did the Labor Force at 348,340. The high point in Unemployment was just in April. 

The preliminary estimates for April showed an unemployment rate of 2.7% but the initially reported increase of one-tenth of one percentage point disappeared due to the inclusion of more data. The civilian labor force participation rate was 65.0 percent in May, a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate. 

Vermont has the third lowest jobless rate in the nation, behind South (1.8%) and North Dakota (2.5%). Nevada continues to have the highest rate, at 5.5%.

The comparable United States rate in May was 4.2 percent, no change from the revised April estimate. The seasonally adjusted Vermont data for May show the Vermont civilian labor force decreased by 494 from the prior month’s revised estimate (see Table 1). The number of employed persons decreased by 343 and the number of unemployed persons decreased by 151. No changes were statistically significant in the seasonally adjusted series.

See tables below.

Michael Harrington, Vermont Labor Commissioner, said: “Survey data from Vermont employers indicate the summer hiring season is starting strong. Over the last month, the Vermont economy added 900 jobs after including seasonal adjustment factors, and many Vermont businesses are still recruiting for both seasonal and full-time work. Youth employment is particularly vital to Vermont’s summer economy, but don’t forget, there are special rules to consider when hiring workers between the ages of 14 and 18.

"Whether you're a business looking to fill open positions or a job seeker exploring training and employment opportunities, the Vermont Department of Labor’s Workforce Development Division is here to help. Learn more at: https://labor.vermont.gov/workforce-development and https://labor.vermont.gov/child-labor.” 

The May unemployment rates for Vermont’s 14 counties ranged from 1.8 percent in Addison and Chittenden Counties to 2.9 percent in Orleans County (note: county unemployment rates are not seasonally-adjusted – see Table 2). For comparison, the May unadjusted unemployment rate for Vermont was 2.2 percent, a decrease of five-tenths of one percentage point from the revised unadjusted April level and an increase of two-tenths of one percentage point from a year ago.

Seasonally Adjusted (Table 3)

The seasonally adjusted data for May reported an increase of 900 jobs from the revised April data. There was no change between the preliminary and the revised April estimates due to the inclusion of more data. The seasonally adjusted over-the-month changes in May varied at the industry level. The industries with a notable increase were Administrative & Waste Services (+800 jobs or +5.7%), Other Services (+300 jobs or +2.9%), and Accommodation & Food Services (+300 jobs or +1.0%). The industries with a notable decrease were Construction (-300 jobs or -1.9%), Private Educational Services (-200 jobs or -1.5%), and Durable Manufacturing (-200 jobs or -1.3%). 

Not-Seasonally-Adjusted (Table 4)

The preliminary ‘not-seasonally-adjusted’ jobs estimates for May showed an increase of 100 jobs when compared to the revised April numbers. As with the seasonally adjusted data, this over-the-month change is from the revised April numbers which experienced a decrease of 300 jobs from the preliminary estimates. The broader economic picture can be seen by focusing on the over-the-year changes in this data series. As detailed in the preliminary not-seasonally-adjusted May data, Total Private industries increased by 4,500 jobs (+1.8%) over the year and Government (including public education) employment decreased by 1,600 jobs (-2.8%) in the past year.

Last Modified Date: June 24, 2025

The Unemployment and Jobs Report for June is scheduled to be released on Friday, July 18, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

*** BLS note on LAUS geography and data changes in 2025: https://www.bls.gov/lau/geography-and-data-changes-in-2025.htm ***

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