What is Obama’s Jobs Record? A Reality Check
BIDEN: “After the worst job loss since the Great Depression, we’ve created 4.5 million private sector jobs in the past 29 months.”
THE FACTS: This seems to be a favorite statistic, because many speakers at the convention cited it. But it’s misleading — a figure that counts jobs from when the recession reached its trough and employment began to grow again. It excludes jobs lost earlier in Obama’s term, and masks the fact that joblessness overall has risen over Obama’s term so far.
As well, in the same 29 months that private sector jobs grew by 4.5 million, jobs in the public sector declined by about 500,000, making the net gain in that period about 4 million.
Overall, some 7.5 million jobs were lost during the recession that began in December 2007 in President George W. Bush’s term and ended officially in June 2009 with Obama as president.
Never since World War II has the economy been so slow to recover all the jobs lost in a downturn.
What no one seems to mention is the fact that it takes a new administration about six months to get new legislation fully initiated in the first term so let’s consider what actually happened.
Job gain/loss history:
January 2009 -818,000
February 2009 -724,000
March 2009 -799,000
April 2009 -692,000
May 2009 -361,000
June 2009 -482,000
July 2009 -339,000
August 2009 -231,000
September 2009 -199,000
October 2009 -202,000
November 2009 -42,000
December 2009 -171,000
January 2010 -42,000
February 2010 -35,000
March 2010 +189,000
April 2010 +239,000
May 2010 +516,000
June 2010 -167,000
July 2010 -58,000
August 2010 -51,000
September 2010 -27,000
Since September 2010 there has been nothing but gains every month totaling 3,260,000
Total losses after June 2009 were -1,562,000. Net job creation was +1,342,000.
Beginning in July 2009 there was a general month to month decline in job losses but considering the recalcitrance of congress in passing legislation that would help create jobs; I think his record is pretty good.
So far the only proposal the Republicans have made is to cut taxes and my Social Security and other social programs.
The two most important functions of the federal government are defence and the welfare of our citizens as stated in
the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENCE, PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
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