Another month, another loss of jobs. But this time with awesome spin!

Guess my prediction of minor job increases in November was way off for Wisconsin. Try the biggest monthly loss yet, 11,700 private sector jobs, and 14,600 overall. But maybe even more sickly hilarious than the God-awful jobs report is DWD Secretary Reggie Newson's remarkable spin on it.

Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today released the Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) monthly report showing Wisconsin’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.3 percent from 7.7 percent. (Ed. Note: This is a separate survey, and largely reflects a smaller workforce, much like the U.S. drop from 9.0% to 8.6% in the same month) October’s job loss number was significantly reduced to 2,400 from the initial estimate of 9,700, a 75 percent correction.

Secretary Reggie Newson today issued a statement on the newest set of monthly Wisconsin employment numbers. “October was the fifth straight month and the eighth month this year in which the federal government overestimated the preliminary job loss numbers or underestimated job gains for Wisconsin,” Secretary Newson said. “I am particularly concerned by the disparity in the October preliminary numbers, which were off by 7,300 for total jobs and 7,900 for private-sector jobs. These unreliable employment statistics out of Washington misinform the public and create unnecessary anxiety for job seekers and job creators about the shape of our state’s economy."

WOW, and not just for the horribly written part about "overestimating th preliminary job losses" (you mean understating total jobs?)And Newson and DWD double down on it from there, with a huge chart showing upward revisions in previous months...but also showing that there were still serious job losses from the time Walker budget was signed in June. Only about 1 1/2 pages in are November's numbers mentioned.

...Preliminary November data indicates employment declines for the month in most categories. The data show that, compared to November 2010, the private sector gained 16,600 jobs, including 5,600 in manufacturing and 11,400 in educational and health services. The public sector lost 12,100 jobs over the year. Without seasonal adjustment, the estimates had similar results, a monthly private sector job loss, but a 15,600 gain over the year.

Yeah, of course, the DWD release doesn't mention that as part of the 15,600 private sector gain, 22,600 private sector jobs were gained between November and March (you know, before Act 10 was passed busting unions?). Which means we've LOST 7,000 PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS SINCE ACT 10. Guess it was just an oversight, eh Reg?

And even with those revisions cutting October's job losses from 9,700 to 2,400, it still means there was a loss in a month where there were 100,000 new jobs in the U.S., and it still means Wisconsin lost the most jobs in the U.S. in those 4 months. Lipstick on a pig indeed!

Looks like it's time to update the charts.

Wisconsin vs. U.S. jobs 2011


And manufacturing has fallen apart in Wisconsin, down 9,000 jobs since the budget was signed, and 9,800 since August, while the U.S. has maintained steady growth in this sector.

Manufacturing jobs, Wisconsin vs. U.S. 2011


Add in this disaster, the Walker budget record now reads:
Wisconsin -34,900 total (-1.26%), -25,000 private (-1.06%).
U.S. +0.50% total (+1.76% vs. Wisc.), +0.66% private (+1.72% vs. Wisconsin)

That's right, we're coming up at being down 2% vs. the rest of the country. But that's what you get when you have the 1 and only Scott Walker! Doing the math, this now means you can directly point to Walker's policies as costing Wisconsin 40,500 private sector jobs, and nearly 49,000 total jobs.

Hmm, no wonder half a million have signed the recall papers, and no wonder this Administration is floundering about with baseless lawsuits trying to stop the inevitable end of Fitzwalkerstan. Because the reality and their record show them to be historic CLUELESS FAILURES.