Weekly unemployment claims fall to under 500

Weekly unemployment claims continued their downward trend last week to remain at a relatively low level. For the week there were 441 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is a decrease of 67 from last year's total. The last time there were under 500 claims (472) was reported on August 27, 2012, the day before Tropical Storm hit Vermont.

Altogether 5,585 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 357 from a week ago and 1,284 fewer than a year ago. The Department also processed 1,334 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 20 more than a week ago. In addition, there were 278 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is 47 fewer than the week before. The Tier II program of extended benefits is being discontinued in Vermont as the state's unemployment rate has been under the federal threshold for more than three months.

The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/. Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc  

Vermont's unemployment rate increased three-tenths to 5.0 percent in July. This is the lowest rate in New England and fifth lowest in the US. SEE STORY