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Baby steps when giant ones are needed

By James B. Nelson April 24, 2014

Wisconsin's private sector jobs report for March contained a bit of positive news for Gov. Scott Walker. He's a little bit closer -- but has a long way to go -- to meeting his promise of creating 250,000 private-sector jobs by the end of his four-year term.

The state added an estimated 6,400 private sector jobs in March, according to the report issued April 17, 2014 by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The report also revised downward the job count for February by a total of 2,100, leaving that month with a net loss of 3,700 jobs.

So the net change from this month's report was an addition of an estimated 4,300 jobs.

But that gain wasn't nearly enough to reverse an widening gap in the number of jobs that must be created for Walker to meet his 250,000 jobs promise.

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, when combined with previously released data, shows the state created an estimated 105,872  jobs since Walker took office in January 2011.

That leaves 144,128  jobs to go.

With nine months to go, the state would have to create about 16,000 jobs a month for each of the nine remaining months of the year, for Walker to meet his promise.

There hasn't been a single month since Walker took office where the state has created that many jobs. And nine consecutive months of added jobs would be pretty unusual as well.

In recent months, the reports show that private sector job creation has not accelerated. In the first three months of this year, the state added an estimated 2,700 jobs. That compares with an increase of 10,700 in the first three months of last year.

You can see our updated monthly graphic following the jobs promise here.

For now, this promise remains In the Works.

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