Vermont long has prided itself as an incubator of small businesses, but the current economy appears not to be helping that.
Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz says her office registered fewer than 2,000 new businesses in the state for the first time in decades.
Final figures aren’t in, but just 1,866 startups had registered by the end of November.
Meanwhile, 800 entities have given up and turned in their business licenses. It’s believed others have closed but are holding onto their licenses in hopes the economy will improve.