Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

More Info

I would like to contribute

Another month with little movement

By James B. Nelson April 1, 2014

The clock is starting to run out on Gov. Scott Walker's promise to create 250,000 private-sector jobs before the end of his four-year term.

That's one conclusion that can be drawn from the state Department of Workforce Development's monthly jobs report issued March 27, 2014.

The report contained two small setbacks for Walker. The jobs count for January was revised from a preliminary estimate of no net gain to a loss of 200 jobs. And the preliminary estimate for February was that the state lost 1,600 jobs.

The monthly jobs reports are based on surveys of only 3 percent of all state employers. They are preliminary estimates and subject to revision over time.

The latest report came two weeks after the state released a report revising monthly jobs estimates for 2013. That report shaved 4,200 jobs off the total for that year.

Here's the bottom line: In a little more than three years with Walker as governor, the state has created an estimated 101,572 private sector jobs. That leaves 148,428 jobs -- or an average of 14,842 a month for the rest of the year -- for Walker to achieve his promise. Since we've been tracking this promise, there haven't been anywhere near that many jobs added in consecutive months.

You can see an updated version of our monthly graphic tracking Walker's progress on the jobs promise here.

For now, this promise remains In the Works, but clearly the clock is ticking.

Our Sources