Vermont’s unemployment rate decreased for the sixth straight month in March, down to 3.4 percent, according to statistics from the Department of Labor.
The state’s unemployment rate was hovering at 4.5 percent from July through September of last year, then began a steady decline of 1.1 percent over six months. For the first three months of that decline, however, the unemployment rate was falling in part because people were leaving the labor force, either because they were unable to find a job or because of retirement.
In January, that trend reversed, and March represents the third straight month in which the unemployment rate fell while the labor force grew, indicating that the total number of jobs in the state is rising to accommodate a growing labor force.
In March, the state added more than 600 jobs, according to seasonally adjusted data, and the number of unemployed Vermonters fell from 12,900 to 12,100.
Employment data for the month of April is scheduled to be published May 16.
