Biden’s Blunder on Employment Numbers

Biden’s Blunder on Employment Numbers: "

Here’s a little-noticed howler from our Vice-President on July 22:

There are 3 million [more] Americans working today than there were before we took office.

Uh, no, Joe. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that no matter which of four possible ways one looks at the numbers, he’s laughably wrong, and by at least six years:

• Household Survey, seasonally adjusted — Total June 2010 employment in this report was 139.119 million. The last time comparably measured employment was three million or more lower was January 2002.


• Household Survey, not seasonally adjusted — You have to go back to March of 2003 to find the last time this employment metric was three million or more lower than June 2010’s figure of 139.882 million.


• Establishment Survey, seasonally adjusted — The last time payroll employment was three million or more below the 130.470 million of June 2010 was February 2004.


• Establishment Survey, not seasonally adjusted — June 2010 showed 131.456 million. The last time it was lower than 128.456 million before Obama’s inauguration was January 2004.

Zheesh. Imagine if Dan Quayle, who could at least count to four (Biden has shown that he can’t), had said this.

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