Excuse Me. You created how many jobs?

By: Larry Walker, Jr.

Yesterday, while Mr. Obama was shouting at a childish crowd in Philadelphia, which included streakers and book throwers, he mentioned something about he and Joe Biden having created 3 million jobs in the last nine months, or some foolishness. So we decided to visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to see how well he has performed among Black or African Americans.

The charts and tables that follow were produced on the BLS website (here). You may click on each to expand the view.

Number of Unemployed

In January of 2009, 2,278,000 Black Americans were unemployed. By the end of 2009 the number had grown by 565,000 to 2,843,000. By the end of September of 2010, the number stood at 2,860,000. Thus, the number of unemployed Black or African Americans increased by 17,000 over the last nine months, which differs greatly from Obama’s account.

Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (Seas) Unemployment Level – Black or African American
Labor force status: Unemployed
Type of data: Number in thousands
Age: 16 years and over
Race: Black or African American

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate among Black or African Americans was 12.8% at the beginning of 2009, and grew by 3.4% to 16.2% by year-end. From December of 2009 through September of 2010, the rate has decreased by a whole tenth-of-one-percent to 16.1%. That seems hardly worth bragging about.

Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (Seas) Unemployment Rate – Black or African American
Labor force status: Unemployment rate
Type of data: Percent or rate
Age: 16 years and over
Race: Black or African American

Not In Labor Force

Meanwhile, the number of Black or African Americans who have dropped out of the labor force continues to soar. The number that bailed out increased by 526,000 in 2009, from 10,311,000 in January to 10,837,000 by the end of the year. In 2010, the number has continued to expand by another 203,000, from 10,837,000 in December of 2009 to 11,040,000 by September. And you call this a great achievement?

Seasonally Adjusted
Series title: (Seas) Not in Labor Force Black or African American
Labor force status: Not in labor force
Type of data: Number in thousands
Age: 16 years and over
Race: Black or African American

So the Party of Food Stamps has delivered exactly the opposite of what it said it would: no pay checks, more food stamps, more welfare checks, and a near permanent extension of unemployment benefits. It’s time to end the disinformation and get honest. It’s time to stop shouting and start listening. And folks, it’s time to wake up and stop believing the lies.

Reference: Jobs created during U.S. presidential terms