PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Unemployment rates increased in several U.S. states between February and April, with Democrat-led Massachusetts and Connecticut seeing the highest percentage jumps.
👥 Who’s Involved: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), various U.S. states.
📍 Where & When: Nationwide data from February to April 2024, with Massachusetts, Connecticut, and other states experiencing notable changes.
💬 Key Quote: “The state that built America’s middle class is watching robots replace assembly line workers,” said Michael Ryan, regarding Michigan’s automation-driven job losses.
IN FULL:
Unemployment rates in several U.S. states rose between February and April 2024, with Democrat-led Massachusetts and Connecticut experiencing the sharpest increases, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Nationally, unemployment is stable.
Massachusetts and Connecticut saw their unemployment rates climb by 0.3 percentage points, with Massachusetts reaching 4.6 percent and Connecticut hitting 3.7 percent.
Other states, including New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Arizona, and Oregon, reported 0.2 percentage point increases. Michigan saw a smaller rise of 0.1 percentage points, reflecting ongoing challenges in its manufacturing sector, which President Donald J. Trump is seeking to address through tariffs.
Nationwide, the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2 percent last month, with job growth in healthcare and warehousing offset by declines in federal government employment due to the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce bureaucracy.