Large Democrat-Run Cities Lag Nation In Job Recovery

A new report reveals that large, Democrat-run cities are lagging the nation — including other municipalities — in labor market recovery.

Personal finance company WalletHub combined three statistics — change in unemployment in June 2021 versus June 2019, June 2021 versus January 2020, and June 2021 versus June 2020 — to evaluate the cities with the fastest rebounds from high unemployment rates caused by COVID-19 and the lockdown-induced recession.

WalletHub explains:

The national unemployment rate is currently at 5.9%, which is 60% lower than the peak of 14.8% during the height of the pandemic. The country has been able to make a lot of progress thanks to the distribution of the vaccine, but it will likely take a long time for the unemployment rate to return to the historic low it experienced prior to the coronavirus crisis. Some cities’ jobs have weathered the storm better than others, though.

The ten worst cities for labor market recovery include the three largest metropolitan areas in the United States — New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, led by Democratic mayors Bill de Blasio, Eric Garcetti, and Lori Lightfoot. 

Almost all ten cities are likewise located in states currently led by Democrats:

1. New Orleans, Louisiana
2. Hialeah, Florida
3. Newark, New Jersey
4. North Las Vegas, Nevada
5. Chicago, Illinois
6. Bridgeport, Connecticut
7. Glendale, California
8. Long Beach, California
9. New York, New York
10. Los Angeles, California

Currently, New York City’s unemployment rate is 10.1%; Los Angeles and Chicago have unemployment rates of 10.5% and 10.7%, respectively.

The ten best cities — all of which are located in Republican-led states — are as follows:

1. Lincoln, Nebraska
2. Omaha, Nebraska
3. Huntsville, Alabama
4. Manchester, New Hampshire
5. Nashua, New Hampshire
6. Salt Lake City, Utah
7. Boise, Idaho
8. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
9. Nampa, Idaho
10. Rapid City, South Dakota

New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago are under Democratic state and local leaders that have been quick to rely on lockdown policies and other COVID-related restrictions.

For instance, de Blasio recently urged employers to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine, arguing that the policy would “change the consciousness” of unvaccinated people. Earlier in July, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reintroduced the city’s indoor mask mandate for public settings — regardless of vaccination status.

More broadly, Democrat-run states are lagging Republican-run states in economic growth. California presently ranks forty-fifth among states’ returns to economic normalcy, while New York ranks fiftieth.

For several years, states with low tax rates and minimal regulations have drawn companies and jobs away from left-leaning areas. Most recently, Disney announced plans to move 2,000 jobs from Los Angeles to Florida due to the state’s “business-friendly climate.”

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