State Unemployment Figures Confirm Regrettable Truths

State Unemployment Figures Confirm Regrettable Truths

OCTOBER 21, 2009

Eight months ago the President signed a $787 billion "stimulus" bill that had been rammed through the House without a single Republican vote.  At the time Democrats claimed the bill would "save or create" 4 million U.S. jobs.  Since then, nearly 3 million jobs have been lost and the unemployment rate has soared from 8.1 percent to a 26-year high of 9.8 percent.

As the unemployment rate reaches 10 percent for the first time since 1983, the Administration continues to send mixed messages about the economic situation.  On one hand, the White House has touted the success of the "stimulus," saying that it already "added between 600,000 and 1.1 million to employment," even as unemployment grew. On the other hand, the President admitted that the "stimulus" has done little for jobs and growth, and argued that more government action needs to be taken, saying, "there is more we need to do.  And that's why today, we're announcing new steps to support more lending to America's small businesses-steps that will lead to more jobs, more growth, and a stronger economic recovery."

The Democrats cannot hide the regrettable truth that the State unemployment numbers for September continue to reveal: since the Democrats "stimulus" passed 46 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have seen increased unemployment as the Democrats big-spending policies fail.  Now, while Americans suffer in the midst of this economic crisis, Democrats continue their attempts to ram through a government takeover of health care which includes trillions of dollars in taxes and new entitlement spending, as well as a national energy tax.  After rejecting a Republican stimulus alternative that would have created twice as many jobs at half the cost, Democrats continue to stifle jobs, handcuff growth, and prolong the economic crisis with new deficits, debt, taxes on job creators and government expansions.

  

State

 

Unemployment Rate When "Stimulus"  Passed

Unemployment Rate in September

Percentage Change

Alabama

8.4

10.7

27.4%

Alaska

7.9

8.4

6.3%

Arizona

7.4

9.1

23.0%

Arkansas

6.4

7.1

10.9%

California

10.6

12.2

15.1%

Colorado

7.2

7

-2.8%

Connecticut

7.4

8.4

13.5%

Delaware

7.3

8.3

13.7%

District of Columbia

9.9

11.4

15.2%

Florida

9.6

11

14.6%

Georgia

9.2

10.1

9.8%

Hawaii

6.5

7.2

10.8%

Idaho

6.7

8.8

31.3%

Illinois

8.6

10.5

22.1%

Indiana

9.4

9.6

2.1%

Iowa

4.9

6.7

36.7%

Kansas

5.9

6.9

16.9%

Kentucky

9.3

10.9

17.2%

Louisiana

5.7

7.4

29.8%

Maine

7.8

8.5

9.0%

Maryland

6.8

7.2

5.9%

Massachusetts

7.7

9.3

20.8%

Michigan

12

15.3

27.5%

Minnesota

8

7.3

-8.8%

Mississippi

9.1

9.2

1.1%

Missouri

8.3

9.5

14.5%

Montana

6

6.7

11.7%

Nebraska

4.3

4.9

14.0%

Nevada

10

13.3

33.0%

New Hampshire

5.7

7.2

26.3%

New Jersey

8.2

9.8

19.5%

New Mexico

5.4

7.7

42.6%

New York

7.8

8.9

14.1%

North Carolina

10.7

10.8

0.9%

North Dakota

4.3

4.2

-2.3%

Ohio

9.5

10.1

6.3%

Oklahoma

5.5

6.7

21.8%

Oregon

10.7

11.5

7.5%

Pennsylvania

7.5

8.8

17.3%

Puerto Rico

14.3

16.2

13.3%

Rhode Island

10.5

13

23.8%

South Carolina

10.9

11.6

6.4%

South Dakota

4.6

4.8

4.3%

Tennessee

9

10.5

16.7%

Texas

6.5

8.2

26.2%

Utah

5.1

6.2

21.6%

Vermont

7.1

6.7

-5.6%

Virginia

6.6

6.7

1.5%

Washington

8.3

9.3

12.0%

West Virginia

6

8.9

48.3%

Wisconsin

7.8

8.3

6.4%

Wyoming

3.9

6.8

74.4%