The 10 States Leading the Economic Recovery All Have One Thing in Common (And So Do the Worst Ones!)

“…Here are the 10 states with the lowest unemployment rates as of July 2021.

1. 1. Nebraska: 2.3 percent
   2. Utah: 2.6 percent
   3. New Hampshire: 2.9 percent
   4. South Dakota: 2.9 percent
   5. Idaho: 3.0 percent
   6. Vermont: 3.0 percent
   7. Alabama: 3.2 percent
   8. Oklahoma: 3.5 percent
   9. Montana: 3.6 percent
   10. Georgia: 3.7 percent

Many different factors influence unemployment rates, but there’s one glaring thing these 10 states all have in common: Republican governors. Generalizing, GOP-led states had lighter government lockdowns on their economies and reopened sooner. So, too, except for Vermont, these states have all prematurely terminated the ongoing supplemental unemployment benefits that can pay unemployed households up to $25/hour. (More than what many workers made in their previous jobs.)

In stark contrast, here are the 10 worst states (counting Washington, DC) with the highest unemployment rates.

1. 41. Arizona: 6.6 percent
   42. Louisiana*: 6.6 percent
   43. Pennsylvania: 6.6 percent
   44. Washington, DC: 6.7 percent
   45. Illinois: 7.1 percent
   46. Hawaii: 7.3 percent
   47. New Jersey: 7.3 percent
   48. California: 7.6 percent
   49. New Mexico: 7.6 percent
   50. New York: 7.6 percent
   51. Nevada: 7.7 percent

With the exception of Arizona, these states struggling with high unemployment all have Democratic governors (or mayor, in the case of DC). Generally speaking, they had longer and harsher government restrictions on their economies than the top 10 states. And, except for Arizona, all of these bottom-ranking states continued to offer residents expanded payouts to stay on unemployment benefits. (*Louisiana ended the benefits on August 3, but the unemployment rates are for July 2021, before this change took effect)…”