MONTPELIER, Vt. -
Update: The unemployment rate in Vermont continues to drop.
The labor department released new numbers Monday.
Leaders say the jobless rate for January fell to 4.7%, down from 4.9% in December.
It remains well below the national average.
Labor leaders say a big reason why, the snow.
"Leisure and hospitality is certainly up, it's up about a 1000 jobs from where it was last year, which translate to about a 3% growth," said Vermont Department of Labor Economic & Labor Information Chief Mathew Barewicz.
Although the statewide number has dropped, many counties aren't doing as well.
Here's a breakdown of the unemployment numbers:
Addison County: 5.1%
Bennington County: 6.1%
Caledonia County: 6.8%
Chittenden County: 4.1%
Essex County: 8.0%
Franklin County: 5.1%
Grand Isle County: 6.6%
Lamoille County: 6.1%
Orange County: 5.7%
Orleans County: 8.1%
Rutland County: 5.7%
Washington County: 5.3%
Windham County: 4.9%
Windsor County: 4.4%
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Vermont's unemployment rate for January 2013 drops to 4.7%.
According to the Vermont Department of Labor, this represents a decline of two-tenths of a percent from the prior month's revised estimate of 4.9 percent.
""Vermont's economic recovery during 2012 was actually stronger than first reported. The 2012 annual rate for Vermont was 5.0 percent which is one of the lowest in the country," Annie Noonan, Vermont Labor Commissioner, said. "The Department is continuing to analyze the revised 2012 data to gain insight into what the future of the Vermont economy may look like.
January's unemployment numbers mark the sixth consecutive month without an increase in the unemployment rate in the state.
