By Pat Bradley
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-964365.mp3
Montpelier, VT – Vermont's unemployment rate continues to decline, dropping two-tenths of one percentage point last month to 5.4 percent. The March rate was 1-point-2 percentage points better than March 2010. Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan said the data shows that the Vermont economy is recovering "slowly and cautiously". Vermont Dept of Labor Economic and Labor Market Information Chief Mathew Barewicz......
(audio cut)
Most employment increases were in manufacturing, professional and business service, and leisure and hospitality industries. But other sectors remain problematic. The Public Assets Institute issues a jobs brief in conjunction with the monthly release of the unemployment numbers. Institute President Paul Cillo.......
(audio cut)
The Labor Department says more jobs are needed to restore those lost during the economic downturn, and the Department's Mathew Barewicz says the slow growth has been expected......
(audio cut)
The Public Assets Institute's monthly Jobs Brief says Vermont needs 41-hundred more private sector jobs to restore employment to pre-recession levels.