States Led By GOP Governors Post Strong Job Gains, Record Low Unemployment Rates

On the heels of this past Friday’s federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) state employment situation reports, it’s clear that pro-growth, low tax, and pro-business policies enacted by Republican governors across the country are yielding enormous benefits for their citizens.

Republican governors have cultivated an environment where businesses can flourish and economic opportunity can be enjoyed by all. This results outlined in the latest jobs report proves no different, as states led by Republican governors shattered previous job records and set new record low unemployment rates.

According to the latest figures released by BLS, the states with the three lowest unemployment rates are led by a Republican governor – Vermont, North Dakota, and Iowa. Over the last year, 7 of the 10 states that have seen the greatest percentage growth in employment are states with Republican governors:

ALABAMA:

• At 3.3% Alabama’s unemployment rate hit a record low in July. Under Governor Kay Ivey’s leadership, Alabama also set records last month by having more than 2.17 million people employed in the state for the first time in history.  

ARKANSAS:

• Arkansas’ unemployment rate dropped to 3.4%, a record low in the state. Since Governor Asa Hutchinson took office, the unemployment rate has dropped by over 39% from 5.6% in January 2015 to 3.4% in July 2019.

FLORIDA:

• For the first time ever, more than 10 million Floridians are working. While a record number of people employed, Florida’s unemployment rate has dropped to 3.3% under Governor Ron DeSantis – it’s lowest point since July 2006. 

GEORGIA:

• In addition to Georgia’s unemployment rate now being the lowest it has been in more than 18 years, under Governor Brian Kemp there are more people working right now in Georgia than ever before.

TEXAS:

• July marked 24 straight months of positive non-farm job growth under Governor Greg Abbott. Texas led the nation with an addition of 35,200 non-farm jobs in July, and has now gained 1,046,000 non-farm jobs since Governor Abbott took office in January 2015.

UTAH:

• Over the year, from July 2018 – July 2019, Utah is tied for experiencing the fastest growth rate in non-farm employment, expanding by 3.1% and adding an additional 47,400 jobs.

VERMONT:

• For the third month in a row Vermont’s unemployment rate holds at 2.1%, the lowest unemployment rate in the country, and the lowest it has been in state history. Since Governor Phil Scott took office in 2017, Vermont’s unemployment rate has never increased.