(MONTPELIER) – “One hundred eighty of our friends and neighbors received some bad news today, as IBM, one of our state’s most highly-valued employers, announced 180 job layoffs.

“Under Governor Jim Douglas’ leadership, the State of Vermont will use every tool at its disposal to help those workers and their families explore their options and look for new work opportunities. The Department of Labor’s Rapid Response Team will meet with them next week to explain available services, job training opportunities, job search assistance, health program options and financial help.

“IBM officials have told me that these layoffs are a result of many factors, including a drop in revenue in the division that includes our Essex Junction facility.

“But these layoffs come at a time when our state’s unemployment rate is rising along with fuel and food costs, a reflection of our national economy. It’s a time when we in state government must redouble our efforts to support working Vermonters by supporting our state’s employers – small, medium and large companies and dairy farms, and the thousands of Vermonters who are self-employed.

“We must continue to find new ways to make Vermont more affordable and make good jobs more plentiful by lowering the cost of doing business in our state.”

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