Branstad Claims Gain but Iowa Loses Jobs In December

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www.ProgressIowa.org
For Immediate Release: January 28th, 2014
Contact: Matt Sinovic, (515) 423-0530

Iowa sheds 2,400 jobs in latest workforce development report
Gov. Branstad claims 3,700 were gained, a deception of 6,100 jobs; Independent fact-check shows Branstad’s job claims are ‘misleading’ and ‘mostly false’

Des Moines, IA — The Branstad administration distorted the most recent job numbers by 6,100, according to records released by Iowa Workforce

Development (IWD) today. The total nonfarm employment declined by 2,400 in December 2013. However, Branstad’s manipulated figure ‘gross over the month employment gains’ showed a gain of 3,700, or a difference of 6,100. The figure is not recognized by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Governor Branstad is out of touch with reality when it comes to job growth,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “He has directed a state agency to put forward a myth about his success as a job creator, to say we’re gaining jobs when we’re actually losing them. Instead of deceiving his constituents, he should focus on growing Iowa’s middle class. Family incomes are growing at a snail’s pace, just 0.2% over the past two years, and no working family can thrive at that rate. We need an honest discussion about how to strengthen our economy, and we need the Governor to stop his dishonesty on this issue.”

After Branstad made inflated job claims in his condition of the state address earlier this month, an independent fact check determined that his claims were ‘misleading’ and ‘mostly false’.

Progress Iowa is a statewide, multi-issue organization focused on research, education and advocacy regarding Iowa public policy, powered by more than 30,000 progressives. For more information visit http://www.progressiowa.org.

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Background:

Fact Check: Net job gain less than half of number claimed by Branstad
http://thegazette.com/2014/01/14/condition-of-the-state-fact-check-net-job-gain-less-than-half-of-number-claimed-by-branstad/

Annotated IWD Jobs Report, Accessed January 28, 2014
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90613260@N07/12190466524/

Comment: It is truly sad that our governor can’t do math he should have been taught in 4th grade.