Federal data shows that red states have seen their share of total US jobs increase since February 2020, a month before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Wall Street Journal. The magazine cites statistics from the Brookings Institution, which found that GOP-governed states added 341,000 jobs over the past two and a half years. During the same period, blue states lost about 1.3 million jobs. Moody’s Analytics also analyzed migration data, which found that in the one-year period beginning in February 2021, 46 million people moved to a different zip code. The states that saw the biggest gains in net immigration were Florida, Texas and North Carolina — each of which voted for the Republican presidential nominee in the last two elections, Donald Trump. Florida saw a huge population increase thanks to immigration from Democratic-leaning states. EPA The states that lost the most residents were California, New York and Illinois, all of which are controlled by a majority Democratic legislature and Democratic governors. Analysts said the migration could be explained by office closures and the need to work remotely due to the spread of the coronavirus. Workers no longer tied to their cubicles could relocate to states with warmer climates, cheaper housing, less dense populations and lower costs of living while still working remotely. Before telecommuting, workers gravitated to where companies’ offices were located. But the pandemic has given workers a choice of where to live, leading to a mass migration away from the big cities to the coast. Shoppers browse stores along the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Bloomberg via Getty Images The researchers found that people were also motivated to relocate to areas where it was cheaper to buy a home. Housing in the 10 states that attracted the most transplants from blue-leaning states costs 23 percent less than the 10 states that lost the most residents, according to the American Enterprise Institute think tank. The 10 states that gained the most immigrants have an income tax rate of 3.8% — compared to an 8% income tax rate for the 10 states that lost the most residents. Four of the states that acquired residents—Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and Nevada—have no income tax. Not only are employees leaving for the sun belt, but their bosses are following. Companies are also moving from blue-leaning states to red states in order to take advantage of lower taxes. Tennessee, which has attracted companies from high-cost states, saw its economy grow 8.6 percent last year — the highest in the nation. As a result, the state saw an all-time low unemployment rate of 3.2% in April.
