Fri, 05/21/2021 - 1:41pm tim
by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Regular weekly unemployment claims fell dramatically to pre-pandemic levels the last two weeks as the Vermont Department of Labor was able to eliminate the vast bulk of fraudulent claims by requiring new claimants to call the department directly. As the VDOL discovered, and other states have realized, criminal operations were barraging online systems with false claims. Also, the work search system technical issue at VDOL that surfaced on May 16 is now resolved. The Vermont work search requirement for unemployment insurance filers was reinstated on May 9.
Meanwhile, the Legislature is on the verge of removing 2020 from the unemployment calculation. If they hadn t, rates to employers would have escalated and the UI Trust Fund would have unnecessarily ballooned. Commissioner Michael Harrington had urged the Legislature to change the law regarding how employers are charged to meet the UI Trust Fund obligati
If you have an issue with your claim that you need assistance with to resolve or if you have a hardship waiver and need to file your weekly claim, please contact the UI Claimant Assistance Center at 877-214-3332. The Claimant Assistance Center is open Monday through Saturday. Please remember, call volume is highest on Monday s and you may experience longer than normal hold times. Please try to call later in the week whenever possible.
What is the work search and what do I need to do?
In order to be eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits, you are required to actively search for work, and be able and available to accept work that is offered to you. Each week, claimants must complete qualified job contacts and report those on your weekly certification. The work search requires claimants to
Edson Hill, a boutique Stowe inn with an attached fine-dining restaurant, has made it through the pandemic mostly intact, its spacious patio giving diners a place to spread out, despite diminished tourist traffic, leaving the innkeepers feeling poised for a summer of relative normalcy.
Still, theyâre having trouble hiring.
âWe are looking for staff members at the moment and in truth, the response has not been what we expect,â said Peter Morris, Edson Hillâs food and beverage manager. âI donât know exactly the rationale behind it. Our server position here is a pretty lucrative position and weâve had effectively zero responses at this point in time.â
Vermont unemployment rate falls to 2.9 percent
The Vermont seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate fell again and at 2.9 percent in March is back under 3 percent for the first time since just before the pandemic hit in early 2020. The rate reflects a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate of 3.0 percent. Vermont now is tied for the lowest rate in the nation with three Western states. There are still over 28,000 filing unemployment claims in Vermont. While this about a third the number of filers from the peak of the pandemic, it is still historically high. Ongoing claims typically would be under 6,000. The pandemic numbers also include new programs like the PUA, which in recent weeks has accounted for almost 9,000 claims.
$22M federal grant goes to D-H group aiming to get people back to work after disability
Modified: 5/14/2021 9:27:57 PM
LEBANON A team of occupational medicine specialists at Dartmouth-Hitchcock is set to expand a project to help Vermonters get back to work through a four-year, $21.6 million federal grant, according to a news release from the Lebanon-based health system.
The funding from the U.S. Department of Labor to the Vermont Department of Labor will go to support the second phase of a project called Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN).
The effort is aimed at reducing Vermont’s rate of work disability one of the highest in the U.S. and also the rate of young people receiving Social Security disability benefits the second-highest rate nationally, according to the Tuesday news release. In addition to affecting people’s economic well-being, unemployment also can be a risk factor for physical and mental health issues such as heart dis