Labor Market Pulse

VT NONMETROPOLITAN AREA Edition

Focus: HR

Vermont's nonmetro counties: fewer workers, sharper pay bidding.

2.3%–3.2%

Nonmetro county unemployment range

Addison/Caledonia low vs Essex/Orleans high

-7,800 workers YoY

Statewide labor force change

2.2% annual decline, mostly retirements

2.6%

Statewide unemployment rate

Third-lowest in the nation, August 2026

$93,500 metro median

HR Business Partner advertised pay

vs $83,766 national, both up significantly

This Month's Takeaways

01

Labor force exit, not hiring freeze, is the real constraint.

Vermont's labor force is down about 7,800 workers year-over-year, driven primarily by retirements rather than layoffs or discouraged workers. Workforce planning in nonmetro counties should assume shrinking replacement pools for the foreseeable future, not a temporary dip.

02

County-level unemployment spread signals uneven hiring difficulty.

A nearly one-point gap separates Addison/Caledonia (2.3%) from Essex/Orleans (3.2%), meaning a single statewide hiring strategy likely under- or over-prices roles depending on location. Multi-site Vermont employers should localize advertised pay rather than applying one nonmetro rate across counties.

03

HR Business Partner pay jump outpaces national gains.

Metro median advertised pay for HR Business Partner rose significantly to $93,500, ahead of a national median of $83,766 that is itself climbing significantly. Scarcity of HR talent in a labor-constrained state appears to be pushing employers to bid aggressively for roles that manage both compliance and retention strategy.

04

Dairy and manufacturing layoffs offer a narrow talent opening.

Franklin County layoffs at St. Albans Creamery, Franklin Foods and Perrigo are releasing production, quality and supply chain talent into a market with almost no other slack. Employers in adjacent sectors may find a rare near-term opening to recruit experienced operations staff without competing against broader hiring demand.

Local Labor Conditions

Vermont's nonmetro counties are operating inside one of the tightest labor pools in the country, with county unemployment ranging from 2.3% in Addison and Caledonia to 3.2% in Essex and Orleans against a 2.6% statewide rate, while the statewide labor force has contracted by roughly 7,800 workers year-over-year as retirements outpace entrants. Dairy and manufacturing layoffs in Franklin County (St. Albans Creamery, Franklin Foods, Perrigo) are injecting a small, specialized pool of displaced workers into rural labor markets that otherwise show almost no slack.

Leadership & Talent Implications

Structural labor force contraction — not cyclical softness — means nonmetro Vermont employers should expect replacement hiring to stay difficult even as national hiring urgency cools, making retention and internal mobility more defensible investments than external recruiting spend. Pay transparency requirements under Act 155 now intersect directly with a labor pool where advertised wage ranges function as a primary screening signal in counties with sub-3% unemployment. Consider reviewing whether current job postings' advertised pay ranges are competitive against the significant year-over-year gains showing up in roles like HR Business Partner and Recruiter, rather than against stale internal pay bands.

Advertised Pay Indicators

Role	P25	Median	P75	Local Trend	National	Nat. Trend
Compensation Analyst	$79,949	$101,488	$111,098	↑ Moderate increase	$101,727	→ Stable
HR Business Partner	$60,000	$93,500	$101,500	↑ Significant increase	$83,766	↑ Significant increase
Benefits Manager	$92,015	$131,036	$131,037	↑ Significant increase	$117,888	↑ Moderate increase
HRIS Analyst	$69,893	$77,530	$91,470	→ Stable	$97,555	↑ Moderate increase
HR Coordinator	$45,054	$54,444	$60,000	↓ Moderate decline	$50,000	↑ Moderate increase
Recruiter	$58,338	$74,613	$81,824	↑ Significant increase	$68,167	↑ Moderate increase
Payroll Specialist	$48,433	$58,599	$64,181	↑ Significant increase	$59,855	↑ Moderate increase

Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days

Potential inflection point

Vermont's Right to Collective Bargaining constitutional amendment goes to voters November 3, with September polling showing 65% support. HR leaders in nonmetro operations, especially manufacturing and government-adjacent employers, should prepare labor relations and compensation governance for a possible shift in organizing dynamics.

Expected

UVM Health Network layoff impacts are expected to materialize in October, adding healthcare administrative and clinical support talent to a labor pool where healthcare has otherwise been a stable, retention-friendly sector. Watch whether displaced staff stay in-state or exit the already-shrinking labor force.

Worth watching

Pay transparency enforcement under Act 155 is now over a year old; nonmetro employers posting vague or non-compliant wage ranges risk candidate drop-off in counties where advertised pay functions as a primary screening filter given near-zero unemployment.

Emerging pressure point

Manufacturing accounts for 22% of statewide UI claims even as the sector shrinks structurally. Nonmetro employers reliant on manufacturing talent pipelines should evaluate whether apprenticeship or upskilling investment can offset a shrinking base rather than competing for an already thin pool.

WageScape Member Benefit

Monitor more markets, industries, and job families.

Your Pulse covers one metro and one function or industry. Add coverage if you want to see the latest intelligence for other markets, industries, or functions.

Pulse Plus

3 metro reports

$149/year

Pulse Pro

10 metro reports

$349/year

Enterprise

10+ markets

Contact us

Scan or click to add coverage

WageTrak · 15% Member Discount

On-demand advertised pay data across thousands of job titles, all metro areas, full percentile coverage, and monthly updates. Use code WAGESCAPE15 at wagetrak.com.

Forwarded This Briefing?

Receive your own personalized monthly briefing, filtered to your local market. Scan to enroll below.