America in recovery: Why some regions are faring better than others

States with lower restrictions and higher employment in essential industries have had the lowest GDP and employment declines caused by the pandemic.
A heat map of the United States showing states in green shading for an expected recovery in the second quarter of this year. See image description.
A heat map of the United States showing all of the western and southern states including Alaska and Hawaii in green shading for an expected recovery in the second quarter of this year, while states in the central U.S. and Midwest from North Dakota down to Kansas and east to Ohio are in the yellow zone for an expected recovery in Q3-2021; and states in the Northeast from Pennsylvania up to Maine are expected to recover by Q4-2021.