Red States Leading the Way in Economic Growth According to New Commerce Dept Report
The red states of South Dakota, Texas and Utah are leading the way in U.S. economic growth coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on Gross Domestic Product numbers.
The Center Square reported, “Eight of the states in the top 10 are all Republican-led states.
“The two in the top 10 that are Democratic strongholds are Connecticut, reporting 7% growth, and Delaware, reporting 5.8% growth.”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem celebrated the news by writing on Twitter, “economy is growing WAY faster than any state in America! 9.9% growth in the fourth quarter of 2020. That’s more than TWICE as fast as the national economy (4.3%).”
GREAT NEWS: South Dakota’s economy is growing WAY faster than any state in America! 9.9% growth in the fourth quarter of 2020. That’s more than TWICE as fast as the national economy (4.3%). Second place was Texas at 7.5%.
South Dakota is OPEN FOR BUSINESS! pic.twitter.com/x1zLU3cyHE
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) March 29, 2021
Similarly, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote, “The Texas economy expanded at a rapid pace of 7.5% in the last quarter of 2020. That means more jobs & more prosperity for Texans.”
Other top ten performers included Tennessee, Nebraska, Iowa, Mississippi and Alaska.
See how your state economy fared in the fourth quarter of 2020; read our latest GDP by state blog: https://t.co/TRDimtXYGl. #BEAdata pic.twitter.com/RNMTdQoYvc
— BEA News (@BEA_News) March 28, 2021
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that the unemployment rates were lower in 23 states in the month of February than the previous month, while it was higher in four states and stable in 23 states.
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The four states that saw the unemployment rate tick up were Connecticut, Delaware, North Dakota and Texas.
The national unemployment rate stood at 6.2 percent, which slightly down from the previous month.
“Hawaii and New York had the highest unemployment rates in February, 9.2 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively, while South Dakota, 2.9 percent, and Utah, 3.0 percent, had the lowest rates,” according to the BLS.
California, which like New York, has some of the strictest COVID-19 lockdowns had an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent in February.
The Center Square reported the New York Federal Reserve’s “GDP Nowcast” model predicts roughly six percent growth or higher nationally for 2021.
