Tuesday, August 16, 2011

For the Record


Yesterday, while perusing the Bureau of Labor Statistics website (see BLS.gov) for verification of Obama's contention about his jobs growth performance (see Fact Check), I also researched George W. Bush's record on the same statistic.  (Democrats and many media types repeatedly claim that Bush ... and the Bush tax cuts ... did not grow jobs during his Presidency.)  As it turns out, there were 137.8 million (seasonally adjusted) Americans working when G.W.B. took office and an equivalent 142.2 million Americans working when he left -- an increase of 4.4 million workers.  However, Bush's last six months in office were severely impacted by the sub-prime mortgage crisis ... with the result of 3.3 million Americans joining the ranks of the unemployed.

So, the near high-water mark of the effects of the Bush tax cuts and his management of the U.S. economy was that jobs grew by more than 7.7 million (4.4 million + 3.3 million) Americans.  The Barry's regime, so far, has shrunk the number of jobs in this country by 2.9 million.  Somehow, the facts always seem to be ignored or spun during political discourse.  What a pity!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

At Dartmouth, did they really teach you that 2.9 million was more than 3.3 million?

Anonymous said...

At Dartmouth I think I learned that -2.9 million jobs is not +2.0 million jobs (the claim that Obama makes about growing jobs since he came into office.)
G.W.P/