Select a subject / question below or search FAQs.
For more information, call 802 828-4202 or
email Labor-LMI@state.vt.us.
Affirmative Action Plan
Annual Average Wage - County Unspecified
Discrimination
Educational Attainment and Income
Employment Definitions
Employment Statistics by Gender
Foreign Labor Certification
Fringe benefit information
Job Descriptions
Labor Law Posters for Employers
Labor Market Area Definitions
Largest Employers
Mandatory Overtime
Median household income by towns
Minimum Wage
Number of Employees by Firm Size
Overtime
Residency for UI Benefits
Rules for age of employee
Shift Differentials
State jobs
Teacher Certification
Turnover statistics
Vacation Pay Compensation
What do I need to know to start a business
What is the Legal Working Age in Vermont
What is the cost of living in Vermont
Affirmative Action Plan
Question: Can you please tell me what information is available for an employer to prepare an affirmative action plan ?
Answer: There are two main sources of data that provide demographic information by occupational category. The most comprehensive comes
from the U.S. Census Bureau and is called the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) file. It is created from the decennial census.
The results of the 2000 Census are available at Affirmative Action Plans.
A second source is Labor Exchange Information. This information reflects only individuals who use VDOL's services and is not comprehensive.
Annual Average Wage - County Unspecified
Question: Why is the average annual wage for the unspecified category higher than the average annual wage for any county ?
Answer: The "Unspecified" category is used mostly for employment that can't be
assigned a specific location, for example sales reps with the entire state
as their territory. These jobs are apparently higher paying than average.
In addition, various clerical and production worker jobs (with lower pay)
won't be in this group.
Discrimination
Question: Is it against the law for an employer to put you in a different job position and try to make you quit by taking money away from you,
then admitting the reasoning for it is he doesn't like you ?
Answer: For help with questions about discrimination in the workplace, information is available at Employment Discrimination through the Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General's Office or call 1-888-745-9195 (toll free in Vermont) or
(802) 828-3657.
You may also get assistance outside government at Vermont Worker's Center, Workers' Rights Hotline. You can submit questions online or call 1-866-229-0009 (toll free).
Educational Attainment and Income
Question: Do you know the median Vermont family income of families with a college degree versus the Vermont family income of families with a high school diploma?
Answer: At this time, there is no current information about Vermont "family" income by educational attainment, but there is for "individual" income.
The American FactFinder at U.S. Census has Educational Attainment data for Vermont and Educational Attainment data for United States that includes Median Earnings, estimated from the 2005 American Community Survey.
Employment Definitions
Question: What is the difference between "Employment" and "Covered Employment"?
Answer: There are different definitions for "employment" depending on what
program source is being used. One of the most detailed sources for
employment data is the Unemployment Insurance Program. Data collected
under this program is referred to as "UI Covered" or sometimes just
"Covered" employment. The main activities NOT included in UI Covered are self
employment, railroads, and small agricultural activities. Employment
is based on the location of the employer. It takes considerable time
to process and edit the reports from more than 20,000 employers, so there
is about a 5 month lag in publishing the quarterly numbers. We also
publish employment estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES or NonFarm Payroll) program based on a sample of about 1,900 employers. This data includes some minor elements not included under UI Covered and is published much more quickly, only a 1 month lag. A third, broader source of data, is the Labor Force (Local Area Unemployment Statistics) program. The employment component of the Labor Force is an estimate
of people employed based on their residence. It includes all employment for
individuals 16 years old and over, including the self-employed, no mater what they do, as long as
they are paid. This is usually shown with the unemployment rate estimate.
Employment Statistics by Gender
Question: How can I get Vermont employment and labor force statistics by gender?
Answer: Employment by gender, with industry and location detail, is available from two sources. Covered Employment and Wages (QCEW) uses data from VDOL and reflects employers subject to Unemployment Insurance law. Local Employment Dynamics is provided by U.S. Census and combines covered employment and wage data from states with census data.
Labor force, employment and unemployment by gender, is available from the 2000 U. S. Census at County Gender and Age Information and from the Current Population Survey at Other Labor Force Information and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Geographic Profile
Foreign Labor Certification
Question: Who do I contact for questions related to workers from other countries coming to the United States under the Foreign Labor Certification programs ?
Answer: In Vermont, for questions related to the Foreign Labor Certification program you can contact Chris LaDuke, email cris.laduke@state.vt.us. Information about the program is available at U.S. Department of Labor Foreign Labor Certification.
Fringe benefit information
Question: I am looking for information on fringe benefits provided by Vermont employers.
Answer: Information on benefits offered by Vermont firms is contained in the fringe benefit survey report.
Job Descriptions
Question: What are the laws/regulations governing job description updating and the amount of changes which dictate when a position needs to be hired for or just a job description update?
Answer: There are no laws or regulations governing the development of job
descriptions as long as they don't discriminate on the basis of race,
gender, etc. If you have concerns about discrimination, information is available at Employment Discrimination through the Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General's Office or call (888) 745-9195 (toll free in Vermont) or
(802) 828-3657.
Labor Law Posters for Employers
Question: I am interested in obtaining the required postings for Vermont employers.
Answer: You can obtain all requried workplace postings from the VDOL Wage and Hour program, call (802) 828-0267, email labor-wagehour@state.vt.us, or download from workplace postings. All required workplace postings are free.
Labor Market Area Definitions
Question: What is a labor market area and how are they defined ?
Answer: A Labor Market Area consists of an economic center and the associated towns in the area. Labor Market areas are defined every 10 years based on commuting patterns. The current Labor Market Area definitions were effective 1/1/2005 and based on the 2000 census.
Largest Employers
Question: Where can I find a list of the largest employers in Vermont ? In the past you provided a list but I can't find it now?
Answer: As of October 2006, we no longer publish lists of the largest employers. Confidentiality standards prohibiting VDOL from releasing employer specific information now include listing the largest employers.
Other sources for a list of the largest employers in Vermont, based on employment, are the Vermont Business Magazine in their annual Vermont Business & Manufacturers Directory, and at America's Career InfoNet - State Profile: Largest Employers. Both sources have shortcomings. VBM focuses on Vermont based private employers, excluding governmental and national firms (e.g., State of Vermont and Wal-Mart are not included). ACI information is based on individual workplaces instead of a business' total activity, so firms with multiple stores/plants will rank lower. Finally, employment levels may differ significantly from information reported to VDOL. The above links are provided as a coutesy. VDOL makes no assurances as to the accuracy of the information from these sources. Use with caution!
Mandatory Overtime
Question: I was wondering if it is legal to make overtime mandatory?
Answer: You should contact VDOL Wage & Hour program, phone (802) 828-0267 or email labor-wagehour@state.vt.us.
You can also check Wage and Hour FAQs.
Median household income by towns
Question: Where can I find median household income ?
Answer: The ELMI publication Economic and Demographic Profiles contains median income for towns based on data from the Vermont Tax Department. The Vermont Community Data Bank contains a wide varity of Housing Data, many items from U. S. Census. Finally, State median income is available from the U. S. Census Bureau.
Minimum Wage
Question: What is the state minimum wage? What is the minimum wage for waiters and waitresses?
Answer: The latest minimum wage information, including minimum wage for wait staff, is available from our Wages and Income page. Beginning in 2007, the minimum wage is updated annually based on the change in the Consumer Price Index. Minimum wage is adminstered by the VDOL Wages and Hour Program. You can contact them by phone (802) 828-0267 or email labor-wagehour@state.vt.us.
Number of Employees by Firm Size
Question: I am looking for data on number of establishments and employees by firm size in the State of Vermont.
Answer: Firm size information is available through the Covered Employment and Wages (QCEW) size class tables.
Overtime
Question: Can an employer make overtime mandatory, and what can be done if you don't want to work overtime ?
Answer: The VDOL Wage & Hour Program administers laws related to this issue. You can browse their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ),
call (802) 828-0267, or email
labor-wagehour@state.vt.us.
Residency for UI Benefits
Question: I am a resident of New Hampshire, but was employed in Vermont. Do I file my claim for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont or New Hampshire?
Answer: [from FAQs UI - Workers] Because you performed work in Vermont, you should call our claims center to file your claim, 1-877-214-3330 (toll free).
Rules for age of employee
Question: My son is 14 years old and would like to get a summer job. What
rules or restrictions apply to him as far as employment is concerned.
Answer: You should contact VDOL Wage & Hour program, phone (802) 828-0267 or email labor-wagehour@state.vt.us.
You can also check Wage and Hour FAQs or
review the regulations on Child Labor Laws (pdf).
Shift Differentials
Question: Does the department have any survey information on shift differentials throughout the state? Does anyone know where I can get that information if the Department does not have it?
Answer: We do not collect data for shift differentials but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes national data from their National Compensation Survey. Check the latest release of "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation".
State jobs
Question: What is the process for applying for state jobs?
Do I need to take civil service tests or something? How do I
find out how, when and where the tests or the job listings of this
type are?
Answer: Information on state employment opportunities is available at the
Vermont Department of Human Resources.
Current listings and application instructions are available at the Career Center.
You can also contact HR by phone at 1-800-640-1657.
Teacher Certification
Question: What are the requirements for teaching jobs in Vermont?
Where can I find the information needed to see if I qualify
to teach?
Answer: The Educator Licensing Office of the Vermont Department of Education can provide information about the requirements for teaching in Vermont. You can contact them by calling (802) 828-2445 or email DOE-LicensingInfo@state.vt.us.
Generally, a person must be a graduate of a Vermont approved teacher
preparation program, receiving an institutional recommendation of
licensure. Or, the person must be a graduate of an approved teacher
preparation program from a state with which Vermont has signed
a reciprocal agreement.
Turnover statistics
Question: Does the state track turnover statistics by region or by
industry ?
Answer: Turnover statistics for Vermont are available by region, industry, age and gender at Quarterly Workforce Indicators. This and seven other labor maket indicators are derived by the U.S. Census through the Local Employment Dynamics partnership by merging Unemployment Insurance data ("covered employment") from states with census demographic data.
Vacation Pay Compensation
Question: I recently left my job at one company to take another. I had two weeks of vacation time due to me at my first job, which I did not use. The company is refusing to pay me for my unused vacation time. How do I go about resolving this issue ?
Answer: VDOL Wage and Hour program deals
with this type of issue. They have a wage claim form and can be contacted by phone (802) 828-0267 or email labor-wagehour@state.vt.us.
What do I need to know to start a business
Question: I want to start a small business. What do I need to do as far as the state is concerned ?
Answer: The Vermont Department of Economic Development is a good resource on how to start a buisness. For starters, you will probably want to contact Secretary of State, 800-439-8683, and the Vermont Department of Taxes, 1-866-828-2865 (toll free in Vermont) or (802) 828-2865.
If you plan to hire workers, you should contact the following VDOL divisions: Unemployment Insurance and Wages - Employer Services Unit , (802) 828-4344, and Worker's Compensation, (802) 828-2286. More information is at New Businesses.
What is the Legal Working Age in Vermont
Question: I just wanted to know what the legal working age actually was in Vermont? There are lots of teens at the age of 15 and I as a parent want to know what the legal age is and what types of jobs are available for them besides the supermarkets?
Answer: Child Labor Laws (pdf) detail the work permitted for different age groups under the age of 18.
You should contact VDOL Wage & Hour program, phone (802) 828-0267 or email labor-wagehour@state.vt.us.
You can also check Wage and Hour FAQs.
What is the cost of living in Vermont
Question: What is the "Cost of Living" in Vermont compared to other states ?
Answer: The official "Cost of Living" or Consumer Price Index from the U.S. Dept. of Labor is produced only for the nation and regional areas. Other non-government cost of living indexes include the following:
ACCRA - city-to-city cost of living index,
ERI - salary survey and city-to-city cost of living comparisons.
These and other resources can be found at ELMI's Related Web Sites.
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