Republicans Struggle With Good News On Jobs

Big jobs report ignored by RNC.

The Republican National Committee was quick to issue a statement on this morning’s jobs report, which showed that the economy created 227,000 jobs in February, but maybe they should have reviewed it before they hit send.

“Today’s jobs report is yet another reminder that far too many Americans are out of work, and the situation is clearly not improving,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in the statement.” But the jobs numbers clearly indicate improvement, even if the unemployment rate didn’t decline.

Aside from the raw number of jobs created in February, the report showed an upward revision of 61,000 jobs created in December and January. Additionally, there was a 92,000 drop in the number of people unemployed for over 27 weeks, coupled with the entrance of over 476,000 into the labor force — a sign of confidence in the economy.

By contrast, Speaker of the House John Boehner’s statement acknowledged that jobs were created, but argued that was despite, not because of, the Obama administration’s policies.

“Today’s report provides some encouragement for millions of families and small businesses who continue to struggle in this economy, but unemployment remains far too high,” Boehner said. “It is a testament to the hard work and entrepreneurship of the American people that they are creating any jobs in the midst of the onslaught of anti-business policies coming from this administration.”

Or take House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s statement: “While the economy is slowly adding new jobs, job growth must be stronger in order for the millions of unemployed to get back to work,” he said. “We know that jobs aren’t created by Washington. Job growth comes from small business owners and entrepreneurs who take risks and start new businesses. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to help small businesses grow and start hiring again.”

Yes, many Americans are still out of work and the unemployment rate remains at 8.3 percent, but there is certainly room for a more nuanced approach to these numbers than the RNC’s statement. Ignoring reality by stating that things are “clearly not improving” is a clearly partisan approach.

Below is the full release from the RNC:

WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement on the February unemployment report:
“Today’s jobs report is yet another reminder that far too many Americans are out of work, and the situation is clearly not improving. Millions of families continue to feel the pain of the sluggish Obama economy and the rising cost of gas, groceries, and healthcare. They are still waiting on President Obama to keep his promise of an economic recovery,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.

“Widespread joblessness has become the norm under this president, and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts that unemployment will remain above 8 percent this year and next. That’s unacceptable. America must change direction before our future is forever mortgaged.

“Inexplicably, the president calls for higher taxes and more reckless spending. He has plans for more job-killing regulations and mandates, but he has no long-term solutions to save Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, which are headed for bankruptcy. Nor does he have a plan to pay down the nation’s debt, which risks another credit downgrade.

“President Obama’s record of broken promises, failed policies, and misplaced priorities has severely damaged the American economy. It’s time America elect a president who will implement pro-growth policies to restore economic opportunity.”

I don't understand Priebus's statement.After last month, more people had jobs. How is the situation not improving?

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) March 9, 2012