“There is a severe labor shortage nationwide. We are feeling it in Vermont, and we started to target those areas that need employees most. This is our effort to help,” Vermont Commissioner Joan Goldstein told Inside Edition Digital.
The state of Vermont is offering relocation bonuses of up to $7,500 for in-demand workers as a way to boost local business amid the nationwide labor shortage, according to a published report. Vermont's incentive comes as employers unable to find people to hire with some businesses have either taken to drastic measures to remain open or had to close down indefinitely due to lack of staff, CBS News reported.
The worker-relocation-grant program, launched in mid-August, is a way to help some businesses and companies get the help they need. In order to be eligible, a person needs to relocate to Vermont, become a full-time resident and be employed in one of the occupations identified by the Vermont Department of Labor, according to the site.
Employers in the state must verify that they tried and failed to find local applicants, that they pay their employees more than $13 an hour and directly hire their workers, CBS reported. Independent contractors are not eligible
“There is a severe labor shortage nationwide. We are feeling it in Vermont, and we started to target those areas that need employees most. This is our effort to help,” Vermont Commissioner Joan Goldstein told Inside Edition Digital.
Currently, the short-term occupations have the most openings, and there are up to 50 different fields needing workers, Goldstein said. She said there is a cross-section of industries, including hospitality, healthcare, retail and construction.
According to the in-demand jobs listed on the site, registered nurses, home health and personal care aides, cooks, cashiers, janitors carpenters, bartenders, truck drivers, construction, waiters/waitresses and retail sales persons are in demand. Some of the areas needing workers include Burlington, Barre, Newbury and Randolph, according to its website.
Grants that may go towards moving costs, or one month’s rent for an apartment, and peak at $5,000 for people relocating to the Barre or Burlington metro areas, and $7,500 anywhere else in the state, CBS reported.
The state had a similar initiative for remote workers in 2018, offering financial incentives for those who relocate and bring their jobs with them. Under that program, almost 300 new residents moved to the state. The commissioner said that the program is set to reopen for another round of funding in 2022.
Other cities and states have also gotten creative in trying to hire or retain essential workers. Oxnard, California, gave $1,000 bonuses to frontline workers who kept working during the pandemic.
In Florida, bonuses are being distributed to police officers, firefighters, teachers and principals. Later this year, Minnesota plans to distribute $250 million in federal funds to frontline workers, CBS reported.
