By Brad Polumbo

The economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing government restrictions. But newly released Labor Department data show that the recovery isn’t equal across all 50 states and Washington, DC. Some parts of the US have almost or entirely returned to pre-pandemic unemployment rates—while others remain strangled in stagnation.

Here are the 10 states with the lowest unemployment rates as of July 2021.

Nebraska: 2.3 percent

Utah: 2.6 percent

New Hampshire: 2.9 percent

South Dakota: 2.9 percent

Idaho: 3.0 percent

Vermont: 3.0 percent

Alabama: 3.2 percent

Oklahoma: 3.5 percent

Montana: 3.6 percent

Georgia: 3.7 percent

Many different factors influence unemployment rates, but there’s one glaring thing these 10 states all have in common: Republican governors. Generalizing, GOP-led states had lighter government lockdowns on their economies and reopened sooner. So, too, except for Vermont, these states have all prematurely terminated the ongoing supplemental unemployment benefits that can pay unemployed households up to $25/hour. (More than what many workers made in their previous jobs.)

In stark contrast, here are the 10 worst states (counting Washington, DC) with the highest unemployment rates.

Arizona: 6.6 percent

Louisiana*: 6.6 percent

Pennsylvania: 6.6 percent

Washington, DC: 6.7 percent

Illinois: 7.1 percent

Hawaii: 7.3 percent

New Jersey: 7.3 percent

California: 7.6 percent

New Mexico: 7.6 percent

New York: 7.6 percent

Nevada: 7.7 percent

With the exception of Arizona, these states struggling with high unemployment all have Democratic governors (or mayor, in the case of DC). Generally speaking, they had longer and harsher government restrictions on their economies than the top 10 states.