Vermont's largest hospital is now state's largest private employer. Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington says it employs 7,100 people.
That’s a significantly larger workforce than at the nearby IBM plant in Essex Junction, which was Vermont’s largest private employer for many years.
Layoffs in recent years have resulted in a decline in the number of IBM jobs; from a high of more than 8,000 to an estimated 4,000 today in Chittenden County. The company does not release information on employee numbers.
Word is expected this week on the extent of the additional layoffs at IBM, which were announced last month.
The company is expected to tell the state how many jobs were cut. It’s estimated that several hundred workers were given their notice.