The Vermont weekly unemployment claims saw a spike for the week ending April 26, 2025, reaching their highest level since just after Christmas. The weekly report reveals a total of 778 new claims, indicating a rise of 282 claims from the previous week and 290 more than this time last year. Claims often see a raise after holidays and at the end of the winter tourism season. The Service industry accounted for 53% of the most claims last week, followed by Manufacturing at 12%, as claims from the construction industry dipped to 2%. Total unemployment insurance claims were 3,806, marking an increase of 117 for the week and 761 from this time last year.

The Vermont Unemployment Trust Fund remains well funded, with the most recent data showing a balance of $266.8 million, despite a small drop of about $5 million. The Trust Fund balance prior to the pandemic on March 1, 2020, was $506.2 million. On the national level, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims has also increased by 18,000 from the previous week. The 4-week moving average was 226,000.

For March, the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for Vermont was 2.6 percent, experiencing no change from the prior month. This rate is relatively low, with Vermont having the second-lowest unemployment rate in the nation, only trailing behind South Dakota (1.8%). The Vermont Department of Labor reports that there are approximately 17,000 job vacancies across the state, despite an estimated 900 jobs added to the Vermont economy in March.

In case you are dealing with unemployment issues and require assistance, it is possible to contact the Employment Development Department (EDD) for advice on claims and other related topics. To acquire this assistance, you can try to get ahold of the EDD customer service through the available channels, or you can visit eddcaller.com for additional guidance. This site offers resources to help navigate the often tricky bureaucracies and obstacles related to unemployment.