Upward revision for February covers drop for March

The monthly jobs pendulum swung in both directions in the most recent report filed by the state Department of Workforce Development.

The April 18, 2013 report included a revised jobs count estimate for February, from a negative 2,300 jobs to an increase of 700 -- a swing in the positive direction of 3,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the report said the state lost an estimated 1,100 private sector jobs in March.

The report is based on preliminary estimates from a small sample size that are subject to considerable revision, as seen by the February  numbers.

The monthly reports are among the tools we use to monitor the top campaign promise made by Gov. Scott Walker -- that the state would create 250,000 private-sector jobs by the end of his four-year term. For our tally we use a combination of the best available annual and monthly data supplied by the state and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

You can see month-to-month changes in this graphic.

With the March estimates and the February revision, the tally stands at an increase of 65,400 private sector jobs since Walker took office in January 2011.

The means he has 184,400 jobs to add in the remaining 21 months of his term -- an average of 8,780 per month -- to meet his promise.

This promise remains In the Works.