Vermont to pay $10K for remote workers to come live in state

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont is hoping to attract new residents and boost its population and workforce by paying some of them to relocate to the state.

The state starts accepting applications Jan. 1 for the program, which pays people who work remotely for an out-of-state company to move to Vermont.

The state will pay those new residents up to $10,000 over two years. The grants will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis, with $500,000 allocated for the program. Among the expenses that can be covered are relocation costs and computer software and hardware.

“We hope it will help recruit workers to our state and serve as a solid building block in developing solutions to the demographic challenges we face,” Republican Gov. Phil Scott said in a statement.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Vermont has the nation’s third-highest median age, 42.7 years, and the state’s population is flat or slightly shrinking.

Legislators created the incentive, dubbed the Remote Worker Grant Program, to help people who work remotely to become Vermonters, said Sen. Michael Sirotkin, chairman of the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee.

“We are encouraged by the interest this program has garnered and look forward to seeing the results as people make the decision to move here and enjoy Vermont’s high quality of life,” he said.

Applicants must be a full-time employee of a company outside of Vermont and perform most of their job duties remotely from a home office or from a co-working space in Vermont. They must move to the state on or after Jan. 1, 2019.