Current:Home > MarketsVermont to grant professional licenses, regardless of immigration status, to ease labor shortage-LoTradeCoin
Vermont to grant professional licenses, regardless of immigration status, to ease labor shortage
View Date:2024-12-23 23:50:57
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Starting in September, Vermont will be able to grant professional licenses to people who meet the requirements, regardless of their immigration status, in a move supporters hope will ease Vermont’s labor shortage.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill into law on Monday.
“We all know the challenges of our shrinking workforce and the need to maximize our state’s economic potential by employing professionals in occupations that best align with their skills and training, regardless of their immigration status,” Sen. Becca White, a Democrat, told Senate colleagues last month.
The law gives applicants the option of providing a federal employer identification number or an individual taxpayer identification number, instead of a social security number, to obtain or maintain a professional license or certification.
Ten other states have implemented some form of this policy, White said.
Persistent vacancies across all Vermont industries “continue to undermine efficiency and productivity of our local economy and create a supply chain delay in many industries that impacts consumer experiences and businesses,” she said.
The Vermont Department of Labor reported Thursday that the state had over 7,700 open job postings. According to the latest data, the state had an unemployment rate of 2.2% in March.
The law extends to over 100 professional roles, including nurses, barbers, social workers, foresters and substance misuse counselors.
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Satire publication The Onion acquires Alex Jones' Infowars at auction
- January is often a big month for layoffs. Here's what to do in a worst case scenario
- In California’s Farm Country, Climate Change Is Likely to Trigger More Pesticide Use, Fouling Waterways
- Tatcha's Rare Sitewide Sale Is Here: Shop Amazing Deals on The Dewy Skin Cream, Silk Serum & More
- Sydney Sweeney Slams Women Empowerment in the Industry as Being Fake
- From Brexit to Regrexit
- Orlando Aims High With Emissions Cuts, Despite Uncertain Path
- Meeting the Paris Climate Goals is Critical to Preventing Disintegration of Antarctica’s Ice Shelves
- Gerry Faust, former Notre Dame football coach, dies at 89
- Southern Cities’ Renewable Energy Push Could Be Stifled as Utility Locks Them Into Longer Contracts
Ranking
- Mike Tyson has lived a wild life. These 10 big moments have defined his career
- Orlando Aims High With Emissions Cuts, Despite Uncertain Path
- Goldman Sachs is laying off as many as 3,200 employees this week
- Inside Clean Energy: The Case for Optimism
- Florida man’s US charges upgraded to killing his estranged wife in Spain
- Judge drops sexual assault charges against California doctor and his girlfriend
- How Olivia Wilde Is Subtly Supporting Harry Styles 7 Months After Breakup
- After holiday week marred by mass shootings, Congress faces demands to rekindle efforts to reduce gun violence
Recommendation
-
Republican Dan Newhouse wins reelection to US House in Washington
-
How Olivia Wilde Is Subtly Supporting Harry Styles 7 Months After Breakup
-
Southwest promoted five executives just weeks after a disastrous meltdown
-
Michael Cera Recalls How He Almost Married Aubrey Plaza
-
Forget the bathroom. When renovating a home, a good roof is a no-brainer, experts say.
-
How Buying A Home Became A Key Way To Build Wealth In America
-
FBI looking into Biden Iran envoy Rob Malley over handling of classified material, multiple sources say
-
Southwest Airlines' holiday chaos could cost the company as much as $825 million