Vermont sees heavy employment declines in industrial jobs during recession

Vermont is one of many states to see its employment figures in industrial sectors suffer mightily over the course of the recession, according to a new survey that found the state has lost 2,894 manufacturing jobs since December 2007.

According to the 2010 Vermont Manufacturers Register released Monday by the Manufacturers’ News Inc., manufacturing jobs across the state have declined by 5.6 percent since the beginning of the recession in December 2007.

Broken down further the survey found that after shedding 1,197 jobs between December 2008 and 2009, the number increased to 1,697 jobs lost between December 2008 and December 2009.

The survey also found that jobs in the furniture/fixtures sector experienced the sharpest declines throughout the state, declining 33.4 percent during the recession. The loss was attributed mainly to layoffs at Ethan Allen.

Job loss in Vermont was not limited to only the manufacturing industry. Transportation equipment production-related employment fell by 15.4 percent and lumber/wood employment dropped 10 percent were an example of the numerous sectors that saw a loss.

Paper products (2.8 percent), rubber/plastics (2 percent), and fabricated metals (1.8 percent) were the only sectors to see increases in employment.