If you say you don't need $10,000, then you're lying. And if, somehow, you do have so much money that an extra $10,000 wouldn't make a difference...maybe you shoot a little bit of your money my way. I'd be more than happy to help with that.
Okay, so that probably won't happen, but if you are looking to make a little extra cash, Vermont is ready to pay you to live in their state. Yes, really.
Governor Phil Scott signed a bill which states that, starting in 2019, the state will pay people who move to Vermont and work remotely for an out-of-state employer. The $10,000 will come over two years, and is supposed to help with relocation expenses, computers, internet, coworking memberships, and other work-related expenses.
But why would a state as beautiful as Vermont have to pay people to live there? It's actually a pretty interesting conundrum. The average age of the population in Vermont is rising faster than any other state in the country. Half of the people living in Vermont are over the age of 43, which is almost five years older than the average age of the rest of the United States.
The hope is that the new bill will encourage young people go and live in Vermont and start a life there. Senator Virginia Lyons, who wrote up the bill, said she took inspiration from her son-in-law, who currently lives in Vermont and works from home for an out-of-state company.
"I was hoping to accomplish a couple of things with this bill," Lyons said. "One was to encourage young people who are computer savvy to stay in the state and work remotely. The second thing this bill could help accomplish is drawing people into the state."
Governor Scott echoed the need for people to come to the state.
"We have about 16,000 fewer workers than we did in 2009. That's why expanding our workforce is one of the top priorities of my administration," Scott said in a statement. "We must think outside the box to help more Vermonters enter the labor force and attract more working families and young professionals to Vermont."
In order to be eligible for Vermont's Remote Worker Grant Program, you have to be employed full time by an out-of-state employer that will allow you to work from home or a remote office. You'll also have to become a full-time resident of Vermont starting in 2019. The current legislation will pay up to 100 people in 2019 to move to Vermont, and after that initial stage, 20 people a year will be eligible for grants.
It's pretty crazy to think that a state as beautiful as Vermont has to pay people to move there, but I guess they're just doing in order to stop their tax base from shrinking.
[H/T: Forbes]
