Unemployment claims in Vermont have nearly doubled over the past year and new layoffs are making headlines every couple of days, including large layoffs at IBM this week. The heavy demand has led to bottlenecks in filing unemployment compensation claims, and lots of frustration for newly out-of-work Vermonters. And officials say that unless something changes, the fund that pays out unemployment benefits will run out of money in a year, forcing the state to borrow to meet its obligations.
VPR’s Jane Lindholm talks with Vermont Labor Commissioner Patricia Moulton Powden about the current situation, and about the future of unemployment compensation in Vermont.
AP Photo: Toby Talbot