Where are all the workers?

MIDDLEBURY — Only 14 months ago, Shafer’s Market & Deli at 54 College St. in Middlebury was a no-fail stop pretty much any time of the morning or evening if you needed a sandwich, gallon of milk, soda, pizza and other indulgences. Shafer’s still has the tasty products and household staples, but you have to time your visits more carefully these days. The business has had to temporarily abandon its customary 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. days for a tighter schedule that ends at 7 p.m., at the latest. Why? Try as they mig … (read more)

VERMONT — Over the past year, as nearly 30,000 people have left the Vermont workforce, Mat Barewicz has found the want ads fascinating. “Large, franchise-type chain restaurants are offering incredible starting pay, plus tuition reimbursement, plus sign-on … (read more)

Doug Hoffer, the state auditor, has been criticizing the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive Program, or VEGI, for more than 20 years. Hoffer wrote about the program in 1999, back when it was called Economic Advancement Tax Incentive, or EATI. Back then, … (read more)