Issue Position: Economy

Issue Position

What I really mean here is that Vermont's own children should be able to find opportunities that allow them to live here. The jobs back home lacked professional diversity or economic scale to support their needs.

Vermont's unemployment rate is very low compared to the rest of the nation. It speaks to the resourcefulness of Vermont workers who often patch together a variety of efforts into a liveable income, but I think it also leaves out the trend toward fewer young residents in our towns. There are young adults who have taken out loans, received higher education in or out of state, and must find jobs in other areas that will provide health insurance and pay well enough to allow for loan repayment. These people are simply not in Vermont when they might prefer to find an opportunity here. Those who are in Vermont often have to work in jobs that qualify them as under-employed as they wait for positions that allow them to work to their full potential. I have also met folks who leave the state for seasonal work or out-of-state assignments, when their preference would be to stay here.

Our towns should continue to grow creative economies, while attracting compatible new businesses to the area. Though some studies show we have already grown beyond sustainability, I am not convinced that we should accept shrinking communities and consolidated programs.

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