2003 Consolidated Plan for Housing & Community Development
Economic Development Needs and Strategies

General Economic Data and Trends

All data in this section comes from the Vermont Department of Employment & Training's (DET) Labor Market Information unless otherwise noted. Additional data is presented in other sections which follow as it relates to those specific sections.

Labor Force and Unemployment

The greater Burlington region has seen significant growth in its labor force over the last twelve years. The City's labor force has also continued to grow. The most recent annual unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) for the region and the city are lower than state and national figures.

You can also view this information in table format.

The 2000 Census reported a total civilian labor force for Burlington of 22,557 and a 5.4% unemployment rate. The Census information showed the following differences in unemployment by census tract:

You can also view this information in table format.

Job Growth

In Chittenden County, Burlington is the largest job center, with almost one-third of the county's total 95,284 jobs in 2000.[2] From 1990 to 2000, Chittenden County added 17,736 jobs. The greatest job growth occurred in Williston, South Burlington, Colchester and Essex. The regional economy (in a six-county area) is expected to add 44,250 jobs over the 2000-2010 period. (Housing in Northwest Vermont: A Review of Demand and Supply of Housing in the Six County Region, Economic Policy Resources, August 2000)

The greatest job growth in both Burlington and in the county overall has been in the services sector. Manufacturing jobs in the city reached a low in 1992, remaining relatively constant since that time.

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The national and state economies are currently in recession. In 2002, Chittenden County lost over 1,700 jobs - including 1,200 jobs at the state's largest employer, IBM.[3] While local unemployment rates remain lower than state and national rates, the local economy necessarily reflects broader trends.

Employment by Industry, Gender and Average Wage

Within the services sector, the largest number of City residents - and the largest number of women - are employed in the educational and health care/social assistance services industries. Industry wage averages put education services in the lower third of annual wages and health care/social assistance services in the upper third. Because those industries - and particularly health care/social assistance - include a wide variation of wages, however, the industry average wage does not give a good picture of the actual earnings of individual workers.

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Commuting

As of the time of the 2000 Census, a relatively high proportion - 53.5% ? of Burlington residents were working within the City. That number is higher than other municipalities in the County. It does represent a decline, however, of 5% from the 1990 Census. Subtracting the number of Burlington residents who work in the City from the total number of jobs in the City, there are roughly 20,000 people who commute into the City to work.

You can also view this information in table format.

Employment by Company Size

IBM continues to be the largest employer both regionally and in the state. In Burlington, Fletcher Allen Health Care and the University of Vermont are by far the largest employers:[4]

Over half the jobs in Chittenden County are provided by companies which employ less than 100 people:

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In Burlington, the numbers and percentages of the self-employed continue to rise:

Page last updated May 13, 2003