[BickleTravis]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

Absolutely no jobs.....your kidding right? This site has over 1200 Vermont jobs.
Jobs in Vermont, Vermont jobs, Vermont employment - jobsinvermont.com

There are thousands of jobs on the state job site, monster.com, craiglist, the classified...........
Granted the job market isn't the greatest but to say there are no jobs is sillytown.

Correction. If you are young and have a degree, you leave VT.
There are jobs here... Retail and service, and some labor jobs.

[sundialstreet]

Correction. If you are young and have a degree, you leave VT.
There are jobs here... Retail and service, and some labor jobs.

*ding ding ding*

[vter]

The vast majority of my friends who left Vermont after HS/College are coming back to raise their families AND have secured GOOD JOBS. I'd love to see a study about how many people that leave eventually come back.

[68vette]

People do come back, but it when they are older. Vermont has the second oldest median aged population in the country and is expected to pass Maine in the next census. There are jobs here as well, but they are not well paid jobs. The census bureau report which recently came out points out the huge difference in pay between our state and others in New England with similar costs. The median difference in yearly income is between 15-20 thousand per year. Then there is the very high divorce rate in the state(I think we rank fifth in the country). This could also play a small role in people moving out of state as well.

[MRVphotog]

I think I found some data that will help answer your question. I went to the US Census website and did some drilling and came up with estimated populations for all states since the last census in 2000. They estimate by using birth, death, houshold and other data to estimate the population. Only during the census years do they have the for sure numbers. Here's the link, you need excel to upload it.
Population Estimates (http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html - broken link)

Some of the info on Vermont population from the US PEP(Population Estimate Program)
2008 - 621.270
2007 - 620,748
2006 - 620,196
2005 - 619,282
2004 - 618,432
the rest of the years are the same growth rate so it's been slow and steady for years. Personally I'm good with that, fast growth is a double edged sword.

This data makes me more comfortable with my forecast that there will be a slight decline in 2009 but you never know.

Vermont has always been on the lower end of the scale household incomewise and I don't think that will ever change, much to the discern of some posters on this forum.

In general terms in 1900 50% of Vermont GNP was ag and 50% manufacturing. Now it's more like 45% ag, 45% tourist and maybe 10% manufacturing. Ironically alot of people hate that Vermont's economy has become so tourist oriented but if we still had 50% manufacturing Vermont would really be in trouble. I realize the wages are higher in manufacturing but I gues I'm a glass half full person.

The tourist industry has only declined about 8% this past summer(recent article in the Times Argus and about 6% for last ski season.Source Vermont Ski Area Assoc.

Now if we could only get milk prices back up so farmers aren't being paid less than is costs them to produce the milk then we might stop the fast decline of the small family farm. That's a train wreck that is gaining speed every month.

Hope the data helps

[68vette]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

I think I found some data that will help answer your question. I went to the US Census website and did some drilling and came up with estimated populations for all states since the last census in 2000. They estimate by using birth, death, houshold and other data to estimate the population. Only during the census years do they have the for sure numbers. Here's the link, you need excel to upload it.
Population Estimates (http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html - broken link)

Some of the info on Vermont population from the US PEP(Population Estimate Program)
2008 - 621.270
2007 - 620,748
2006 - 620,196
2005 - 619,282
2004 - 618,432
the rest of the years are the same growth rate so it's been slow and steady for years. Personally I'm good with that, fast growth is a double edged sword.

This data makes me more comfortable with my forecast that there will be a slight decline in 2009 but you never know.

Vermont has always been on the lower end of the scale household incomewise and I don't think that will ever change, much to the discern of some posters on this forum.
In general terms in 1900 50% of Vermont GNP was ag and 50% manufacturing. Now it's more like 45% ag, 45% tourist and maybe 10% manufacturing. Ironically alot of people hate that Vermont's economy has become so tourist oriented but if we still had 50% manufacturing Vermont would really be in trouble. I realize the wages are higher in manufacturing but I gues I'm a glass half full person.

The tourist industry has only declined about 8% this past summer(recent article in the Times Argus and about 6% for last ski season.Source Vermont Ski Area Assoc.

Now if we could only get milk prices back up so farmers aren't being paid less than is costs them to produce the milk then we might stop the fast decline of the small family farm. That's a train wreck that is gaining speed every month.

Hope the data helps

Many complain about the income, but there is a reason to compain about it. I have lived in other states and have family in other states. A suburban area in Mass or Ct is no different than a suburban area in Vermont. It is a big factor for why the younger people leave the state. I was no different when I was younger. Vermont was a great place to visit, but I had to have a job that paid well. Once I was older with experience and with a family, I was willing to take a slight pay cut to live in Vermont.

[BickleTravis]

Originally Posted by vter

The vast majority of my friends who left Vermont after HS/College are coming back to raise their families AND have secured GOOD JOBS. I'd love to see a study about how many people that leave eventually come back.

Good jobs?
Such as?

[vter]

software engineers

[mustmove]

Originally Posted by vter

software engineers

Right I know two CIO one in Burlington one in Hartford, CT. Last year they were both seeking to employ a software engineer with the same qualifications the one in VT was looking to pay 40-50K(definately wanted to be closer to 40) the one in Hartford was offering 140K. Burlington is probably more expensive than most of Hartford and Hartford is close enough to enjoy VT on most weekends. You really got to want it to live in VT, it is not a close substitute to metro NY/Boston.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by mustmove

You really got to want it to live in VT, it is not a close substitute to metro NY/Boston.

That's right. And we do. I could make twice as much as a nonprofit manager elsewhere. I was offered a position with a Boston organization I love. Though we have no desire to leave Vermont, we looked into it. We quickly declined. We want to wake up here every day, do our marketing here, volunteer in Vermont communities, and continue to call Vermont home.

We don't want to vacation in Vermont or drive up just for the weekend. My husband is from the Hartford, CT, area. We still visit friends there and it's clear to us that we wouldn't be happy living there. We're very happy with our decision to stay in Vermont. It's not for everyone, obviously, but it is for us and for our many friends who wouldn't leave.

No trust funds or rose-colored glasses; just day-to-day reality.