MONTPELIER — Vermont's unemployment rate rose for a third consecutive month in January.
The state Department of Labor reported that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2007 was 4.0 percent, up two-tenths of a point from the month before and four-tenths of a point from a year ago.
The increase was attributed to construction layoffs and the unseasonably warm weather in January causing a sluggish start to the winter tourism season.
"Three straight months of unemployment rate increases and slower job growth than previously measured are cause for concern," said Patricia Moulton Powden, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor. "We believe that some of the forces at work may be temporary, such as in the construction and leisure and hospitality sectors, but we are also seeing a faster slowdown in our manufacturing employment sector than we previously observed. Some other states in the region are seeing the same pattern occur."
In regional labor markets around Vermont, non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates ranged from 2.7 percent in the Woodstock area to 7.6 percent in Newport.
Here are the seasonally unadjusted regional unemployment figures for January:
Barre-Montpelier: 6.5 percent, compared to 4.0 percent the previous month and 5.7 percent a year ago.
Bennington: 4.7 percent, compared to 3.6 percent the previous month and 4.1 percent a year ago.
Bradford: 6.0 percent, compared to 3.7 percent the previous month 5.9 percent a year ago.
Brattleboro: 4.3 percent, compared to 3.4 percent the previous month and 3.6 percent a year ago.
Burlington-South Burlington: 4.0 percent, compared to 3.1 percent the previous month and 3.7 percent a year ago.
Hartford: 2.8 percent, compared to 1.9 percent the previous month and 2.1 percent a year ago.
Manchester: 4.6 percent, compared to 3.7 percent the previous month and 3.8 percent a year ago.
Middlebury: 4.6 percent, compared to 3.0 percent the previous month and 4.1 percent a year ago.
Morristown-Stowe: 5.4 percent, compared to 4.2 percent the previous month and 5.0 percent a year ago.
Newport: 7.6 percent, compared to 6.0 percent the previous month and 7.1 percent a year ago.
Randolph: 5.2 percent, compared to 3.8 percent the previous month and 4.2 percent a year ago.
Rutland: 4.5 percent, compared to 3.5 percent the previous month and 4.0 percent a year ago.
Springfield: 5.1 percent, compared to 4.2 percent the previous month and 4.2 percent a year ago.
St. Johnsbury: 5.0 percent, compared to 3.9 percent the previous month and 5.1 percent a year ago.
Swanton-Enosburg: 6.8 percent, compared to 5.6 percent the previous month and 6.6 percent a year ago.
Warren-Waitsfield: 3.7 percent, compared to 2.9 percent the previous month and 2.4 percent a year ago.
Woodstock: 2.7 percent, compared to 2.5 percent the previous month and 2.4 percent a year ago.
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