Blagojevich Administration Downplays Jobs Picture, 50,000 More Illinois Workers Unemployed Since 2007
(Springfield, IL) -- Governor Rod Blagojevich's Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) attempted to put statistical lipstick on the state's latest unemployment numbers pig.
On April 24, the Department announced the new March 2008 unemployment numbers for Illinois with the headline: "Jobs Up or Stable Throughout Illinois". However, the agency failed to mention Illinois' unemployment rate. It's 5.5%. That's up from 4.9% in March 2007. No mention of that either. Zilch. (See Chart).The U.S. unemployment rate is 5.0%.
Illinois has 51,416 more people unemployed in March 2008 than a year ago. No mention of that too. Zip.
IDES's director James Sledge boasts that since the beginning of the year Illinois has added 13,000 more jobs than other Midwest states. But the director's "happy news" ignores that Illinois is still 50,000 jobs in the hole and has the second highest unemployment rate of our immediate neighbors, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
* Indiana 5.1%
* Iowa 3.5%
* Kentuck 5.7%
* Missouri 5.7%
* Wisconsin 4.8%
Mr. Sledge provides a disservice to Gov. Blagojevich. He should just provide Illinois citizens the facts and knock-off the pretzel-twisting, misleading "happy news". The spin hurts the Governor. More.
Your Two Cents Less
2 comments:
You also distort it - it is down 50,000 from march 2007, but up from other points in time that are just as arbitrary.
Illinois' job picture isn't good and we need help. But we aren't struggling significantly more than neighboring states.
This is a regional problem - a George Bush problem.
When jobs are up it's because of Blago , but when jobs are down it's because of Bush , are you a spin sister also , I am a litlle smarter than that , also remember public official A is not Blago, SURE.
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