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Employment data compiled in 2015 by 24/7 Wall St. provides a clue:

Table 2: 2015 Unemployment by Race in States that Differ in Spreading the Wealth*

States doing the most in 2011	White unem.	Black unem.	Latino unem.
California	6.0%	11.0%	7.6%
Connecticut	4.5%	13.2%	11.3%
Massachusetts	4.4%	10.6%	11.0%
Minnesota	2.9%	14.1%	3.8%
New Jersey	5.2%	10.0%	7.6%
New York	4.5%	8.2%	6.7%
Pennsylvania	4.5%	10.5%	7.7%
Rhode Island	5.2%	12.2%	9.1%
average^★	4.7%	11.2%	8.1%

States doing the least in 2011	White unem.	Black unem.	Latino unem.
Alabama	4.3%	10.6%	6.5%
Arizona	5.7%	9.1%	8.3%
Arkansas	4.3%	10.3%	6.7%
Florida	4.6%	9.0%	5.8%
Indiana	4.5%	7.0%	5.6%
Oklahoma	3.8%	8.8%	4.8%
South Carolina	4.1%	10.7%	6.2%
Tennessee	5.1%	7.5%	4.0%
Texas	4.1%	7.5%	4.9%
average^★	4.5%	8.9%	5.8%

* To provide more realistic data on minority communities, the table excludes data from states where blacks make up less than 5% of the state population.

★Based on a one-tailed T-test, overall black and Latino unemployment is significantly higher in states on the left column (p = 0.01). There is no significant difference for white unemployment between the states in the left and right columns (p = 0.30).

Blue-collar jobs are more vulnerable to outsourcing, and data compiled by Forbes show why adults without college degrees are likely to struggle to find high-paying jobs in states on the left:

Table 3: 2017 Forbes Business Regulatory Environment Ranking on States that Differ in Spreading the Wealth

States doing the most in 2011	Regulatory Environment
Alaska	29
California	47
Connecticut	42
Hawaii	46
Massachusetts	35
Minnesota	22
New Jersey	45
New York	27
Pennsylvania	36
Rhode Island	48
average rank	37.7

States doing the least in 2011	Regulatory Environment
Alabama	17
Arizona	25
Arkansas	23
Florida	5
Idaho	15
Indiana	1
Oklahoma	14
South Carolina	6
Tennessee	8
Texas	21
average rank	13.5

Note that half the states on the left rank among the "10 worst" for regulations, while nearly half of the states on the right are among the "10 best."

In areas of Alaska unemployment is 90+%

The state is undergoing a net out-migration, there are no jobs.

It’s so bad, even Sara Palin is leaving!