As state economies across the country begin to safely reopen and rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, states led by Republican governors are fueling America’s comeback.
America’s job creators defied the pundits by adding a historic record 2.5 million jobs in May. Longstanding efforts by Republican governors to cut red tape, ease the tax burden, and enact pro-growth policies to unleash the free enterprise system led to the creation of 1,337,000 non-farm jobs in states led by Republican governors, according to newly-released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. States with GOP governors created nearly 29,000 more jobs than those led by their Democrat counterparts.
While all states led by Republican governors added jobs in May, averaging over 51,000 per state, Governor Greg Abbott and the great State of Texas led the way by adding 237,800 new jobs. Strong additions in Florida (182,900 jobs), Ohio (127,100 jobs), Tennessee (93,900 jobs), and Indiana (87,500 jobs) contributed to America’s strong growth.
States led by Republican governors also saw strong declines in their unemployment rates. The top five states in the nation with the lowest unemployment rates – Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, and Idaho – all have Republican governors. In the span of just one month, Nebraska’s unemployment rate decreased by over 40% from 8.7% in April to 5.2% in May. Twelve states led by GOP governors have an unemployment rate of 10% or less – double the amount of states led by Democrat governors – and nearly all states with Republican governors have an unemployment rate below the national average of 13.3%.
While all states across the country are facing economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the jobs report contained especially bad news for states with liberal governors. Governor David Ige of Hawaii presided over the only state in the nation to lose jobs, and California and New York saw the greatest over-the-year job losses – losing a combined total of more than 4 million jobs. On a percentage basis, the states that saw the largest decline in jobs were Hawaii (20.1% decline), Michigan (19.2% decline), and New York (18.3% decline).
“This strong jobs report affirms that Republican governors have positioned their states to reignite America’s economy and create opportunity and renewed prosperity for their citizens,” said RGA Communications Director Amelia Chassé Alcivar. “Through common sense, pro-growth policies and data-driven decision making, Republican governors are leading America’s comeback.”
