Vermont

[next_migration]

Vermont has a reputation for liberalism because its people are generally tolerant and value their environment. However, it’s worth remembering that they were for a long time the only state to allow permitless concealed carry firearms, which was called “Vermont carry” back before many states chose to extend the privilege to any white guy with an assault rifle. Vermont’s state motto is “Freedom and Unity” (they also have a dopey Latin motto), and the state still has much of the old New England Yankee culture, which is hard-working, self-reliant, understated, and modest. New Englanders tend to believe in helping their neighbors, if they are deserving, and otherwise keeping their noses out of other people’s business. Vermont is usually a nice state, though it’s not very diverse and African-American residents find some towns less pleasant.

 

Vermont is also a mostly rural state (the neighboring New Hampshire is of similar geographic size but far more populous) with a large dairy industry. There is a strong environmental and sustainability movement, and organic farming is popular. The largest city is the northern Burlington (about 42,000 people, but with a much larger metro area), on the shore of Lake Champlain. Several years ago, it became the first U.S. city to transition to 100% renewable energy. There are only eight other towns between 10,000 and 22,000 people. The largest, Essex, is in the south, and South Burlington, Rutland, and Colchester are part of the Burlington metro area. There are close to twenty towns between 5000 and 10,000 people, including the dinky capital of Montpelier, scattered throughout the state. An Amtrak line running north-south offers a surprising number of stops in Vermont.

Kurtz et al. (2020) consider the metropolitan area of Burlington to have a food sourcing problem despite its interest in sustainability. Given the need to feed other cities in the region, Burlington would need to draw from a foodshed of over 1000 km radius. With a low-meat diet, this could be reduced to the 500–1000 km range, but still, when you compare that to Vermont’s physical size, the clear message is that Vermont’s agricultural productivity would not feed the Vermonters who are already there, and probably could not be made to do so even by a great increase in agricultural labor. There would be plenty of dairy products, but poor soil and short growing seasons would restrict crop production both here and in bordering states. For this reason, I would recommend that the region should not seek to grow further.

However, Vermont thinks it needs more people. The state has been declining in population for several years. Its economy is already quite small and shrinking; young people have left for bigger cities, and the pandemic has induced a lasting labor shortage. Their recent unemployment rate is 3%, and employers are so desperate for workers that the state has set up a program to reimburse relocation expenses for workers who move from other states (D’Ambrosio 2021). The current program offers up to $7500 in reimbursement to workers in 50 qualifying occupational categories, and in 2022 there will be a program for remote workers who maintain out-of-state employers. The state has an excellent website explaining the requirements and providing thousands of job listings, talking about real estate, showing videos of local scenery, and inviting those considering moving to “connect with a Vermonter.” Nobody can say they’re not working hard to attract young blood.

One downside is that you must relocate first and get reimbursed later—but if you were sure of your eligibility and had credit cards, you could put some of the costs of moving on plastic. Another is that almost all of the jobs targeted are service jobs or unskilled or semi-skilled labor, so most would be poorly paid. For you to be eligible, the employer must pay at least $13.39 per hour, but Vermont has expensive housing, and in many towns you’d have a tough time paying rent with that “livable wage.” Check out current local rents before you apply remotely for a job in Vermont. Despite all these warnings, if you’re working-class and living in a place where it’s hard to find an employer who will treat you as a human being, you might understandably be tempted by the fact that this state might roll out a red carpet for you.