Vermont’s unemployment rate is down one point over last year at this time, to 5.7%. But the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund that pays out benefits to unemployed Vermonters remains insolvent, with the state borrowing federal funds to keep paying benefits. Lawmakers reached a compromise in the spring to return the fund to solvency over several years. Tracy Phillips, director of Unemployment Insurance & Wages for the Vermont
Department of Labor, explains the impact of trends in unemployment and changes in how the fund is structured.
Send your questions about unemployment insurance in Vermont to vermontedition@vpr.net
Also in the program, environmental reporter Candace Page looks at how several different animal species are faring in our region. From bats suffering from White Nose Syndrome, to lampreys preying on fish to the loon population, we look back at the" year in critters."
And, one spouse of a deployed National Guard soldier shares her story. Ann Chapman is married to Sergeant Corey Chapman of Tunbridge, and for her this has been an eventful year. She gave birth to their third child, a son named Oren. She also made a lot of new best friends. We talked with Ann just before her husband’s return to learn about how she got through the year and how she’s preparing for life after deployment.