Unemployment rates in several U.S. states soared between February and April 2024, with Democrat-led Massachusetts and Connecticut seeing the most pronounced increases, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Massachusetts and Connecticut’s unemployment rates climbed by 0.3 percentage points, with Massachusetts reaching 4.6 percent and Connecticut hitting 3.7 percent.
Other states reported 0.2 percentage point increases, including:
New Jersey Delaware Virginia Ohio Mississippi Missouri Iowa Minnesota Arizona
Meanwhile, Michigan saw a smaller rise of 0.1 percentage points, reflecting ongoing challenges in its manufacturing sector—an area President Donald Trump is seeking to address through tariffs.
Across the nation, the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2 percent last month.
Job growth in healthcare and warehousing was offset by declines in federal government employment due to the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce bureaucracy.
As we reported in 2022, just a year into the Biden administration, Americans were escaping Democrat-run cities in blue states due to soaring housing costs, inflation, and crime.
According to a report from the real estate brokerage site Redfin, Americans are now relocating to more affordable metro areas.
“Redfin reveals an all-time high of 32.6 percent of its users looked to move