Vaccine mandates depend on local politics

When it comes to job postings with a vaccination requirement, 9 of the top 10 cities went blue in the 2020 election, according to a new Indeed analysis.

• The one metro area that went red is Fayetteville, Arkansas.

By the numbers: In January, 7.1% of job postings in blue metros advertised required vaccination compared with 4.4% in red metros.

• Politics appears to be a more significant determinant of whether or not a job will require vaccination than more relevant factors, such as whether or not the job requires in-person work, says Indeed economist AnnElizabeth Konkel.

Between the lines: It’s not surprising that Democratic-leaning cities have a higher share of job postings requiring the jab, as these are also the places with higher rates of vaccination. But the size of the gap is noteworthy.

• "I figured there would be a difference," says Konkel. "But I was surprised it was this large."
• "It's a good example illustrating that employers are taking the temperature in their local markets," she says. "This is a labor market where employers want to appeal to job seekers and certainly not offend them in any way."