President Trump did the impossible in 2016 by breaking the so-called “Rust Belt” states with his winning of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Two years later, has voting for Trump paid off for those residents? The numbers say yes.
According to the latest economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the key states that swung the election in favor of Trump have seen a steady rise in available jobs, with Ohio setting a 21-year record. CNS reported that the findings that showed significant gains in those states between 2017 and 2018:
The 37 states that BLS said had statistically significant jobs increases from September to September included Pennsylvania (which added 78,700 jobs) and most of the states in the northern Midwest.
Ohio, for example, added 104,600 jobs during the September-to-September period; Michigan added 63,300; Illinois added 50,300; Wisconsin added 41,700; Minnesota added 38,200; and Iowa added 17,600.
The 104,600 jobs that Ohio added was the most it has added in any September-to-September period since 21 years ago in 1997. That year, Ohio added 107,700 jobs.
Pennsylvania’s 78,700 job gain is the highest for the state in 18 years. Unemployment in that state now stands at 4.1%; Ohio stands at 4.6%.
In Michigan, a state once considered a blue stronghold until Trump painted it red in 2016, has also seen a steady decrease in unemployment. According to ABC News, Michigan’s unemployment rate fell to 4.0% in September, with Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget announcing last week that the state’s “total employment in Michigan rose slightly by 1,000 during the month while the number of unemployed fell by 8,000.”
Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives Director Jason Palmer also told ABC News that “the state’s unemployment rate has fallen by seven-tenths of a percentage point since the beginning of the 2018 while payroll jobs have risen consistently throughout the year.”
Meanwhile, the cheeseheads in Wisconsin have enjoyed themselves an unemployment rate below 3% for 8 months in a row, according to the Associated Press, which could propel Republican Gov. Scott Walker to a third term in office:
Wisconsin’s unemployment rate notched an eighth straight month under 3 percent, more positive economic news for Gov. Scott Walker with the election just over two weeks away.
The state Department of Workforce Development reported Thursday that Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was 3 percent in September, the same as in August. The state lost 900 private-sector jobs between August and September but was up 35,900 from the previous year.
Prior to last year, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate never dropped below 3 percent. The record was set in April when it dipped to 2.8 percent. Walker has pointed to the state’s low unemployment as he makes the case for a third term. Having few people looking for work has also created a worker shortage problem for some businesses.
Outside of the so-called “Rust Belt,” the swing state of Florida has seen some of the most impressive economic gains by adding a staggering total of 407,300 jobs to its economy.