It’s in large part geography.
Jobs are being created in red states. Red state unemployment is lower. Thus employers in red states have more competition for the people they hire. It’s called “success” and it means the economy in those areas is growing.
Jobs are being lost in blue states. Blue state unemployment is high. Terrible in fact. There aren’t employers in blue states because they’re moving to red states. Leaving lots of unemployment.
Eventually the unemployed in blue states who actually want jobs will move to the red states, leaving failed blue states with falling populations, and falling representation in elections.
Now. If we could agree as a nation we need to keep jobs in America, all this would begin to correct itself.
California, which has about 10% of the U.S. population ranks last in high school education testing. LAST. The state is peppered with hi tech outfits, yet it often goes abroad to hire. Although it has such self-inflated universities as Cal-Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, the education system can’t produce the technicians the state economy needs. Do you know why? Everyone on this site knows why.