DES MOINES – A liberal political group took aim at Governor Branstad’s claims in his Condition of the State address he delivered Tuesday in Des Moines.
Progress Iowa said that the governor’s claim that 130,000 jobs have been created is a “deception” and leaves out the number of jobs that were lost, saying that “67% of Iowans believe his claim is dishonest.”
Citing figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth has been significantly lower than the Governor claims, Progress Iowa said.
Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued a statement “in response to the Governor’s continued deception and use of false statistics:”
“Governor Branstad continues to use fuzzy math to deceive Iowans and inflate job growth. Any discussion about improving Iowa’s economy must include an honest assessment of our current condition. Middle class families struggling on income that has flatlined deserve better than more lies and dishonesty from their Governor. Unfortunately, the Governor seems incapable of honesty on this issue.”
In a survey conducted by Public Policy Polling just two weeks ago, 67% of Iowans responded that Governor Branstad’s method of counting only jobs gained, without counting jobs lost, is dishonest.
Statistics recognized by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that from January 2011 until November 2013, ‘total nonfarm employment’ grew by a net 54,000 jobs in Iowa. And according to the US Census Bureau, median family income grew by just 0.2%. Governor Branstad has promised to create 200,000 jobs and grow family income by 25%, promises he has failed to keep.
###
Background:
Iowa Workforce Development: Total nonfarm employment grew by just 54,000 jobs between January 2011 and November 2013
http://www.iowaworkforce.org/lmi/empstat/nonseasonal.xlsx
Associated Press: Governor Branstad was forced to downgrade his disputed job claims
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-11-22/iowa-governor-adjusts-job-creation-claims
Public Policy Polling: 67% of Iowans believe his method of counting ‘gross jobs’ is dishonest
US Census Data: Median family income has risen by $111 dollars since 2010, an increase of just 0.2%
http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk