Unemployment climbed in Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Iowa,North Carolina and Nevada, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington. The rate dropped in Coloradoand New Mexico, and was unchanged from July in Ohio, Floridaand Virginia. Joblessness in six of the 10 states is below thenational average of 8.1 percent.
Changes in the unemployment rate in the swing states may influence voters as they weigh President Barack Obama’s argument that his policies are helping heal the economy and Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s contention that the president’s policies have left Americans worse off than they were four years ago.
“In the last six months or so, the trends have never been negative from Obama’s point of view -- the growth has been slow, but it’s been steady,” said Bruce Buchanan, a political scientist at theUniversity of Texas in Austin, who studies voter behavior in presidential elections. “And that has gradually defanged the economic issue as a promising one for Romney.”
Employers cut jobs in six of the electoral swing states in August, including Ohio and Virginia. Florida and Wisconsin showed a pickup in employment.
U.S. Unemployment
A Labor Department report earlier this month showed the unemployment rate in the U.S. dropped in August from 8.3 percent in July as more Americans left the workforce.
Unemployment climbed to 7.5 percent in Wisconsin last month from 7.3 percent in July, rose to 5.7 percent from 5.4 percent in New Hampshire, and increased in Iowa to 5.5 percent from 5.3 percent. The jobless rate in North Carolina rose to 9.7 percent in August from 9.6 percent and advanced in Nevada to 12.1 percent, the highest in the nation, from 12 percent.
The jobless rate in Ohio was 7.2 percent in August for a third month and stayed at 8.8 percent in Florida. Obama carried a majority of the vote in Ohio, Florida and six other key swing states in 2008. Ohio and Florida account for two of the biggest electoral prizes this year.
Among the swing states, Florida showed the biggest gain in employment at 23,200 last month. Payrolls climbed 7,800 in Wisconsin. Virginia’s 12,400 drop in employment was the largest of any U.S. state in August. In Ohio, employers reduced headcount by 2,000.
Fiscal Cliff
The lack of clarity on taxes and government spending associated with the approaching so-called fiscal cliff, along with a weaker global economy, may be prompting companies to hold the line on headcounts.
Obama polls 50 percent among likely voters in Colorado, Wisconsin and Iowa, according to the latest survey. The NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist College poll gave Obama identical 5 percentage-point leads, 50 percent to 45 percent, in Colorado and Wisconsin, and an 8-point advantage in Iowa, 50 percent to 42 percent.
The surveys were conducted Sept. 16-18 of 971 likely voters in Colorado with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 898 likely voters in Iowa with a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points and 968 likely voters in Wisconsin with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
An NBC/Journal poll of likely voters released last week put Obama ahead of Romney 49 percent to 44 percent in Florida and Virginia, and leading with 50 percent to 43 percent in Ohio. No Republican has won the White House without carrying Ohio.
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