Economists: Job numbers more accurate

Associated Press

Updated: May 16, 2012 9:56 AM

MADISON (AP) — Economists say new jobs numbers being reported by Gov. Scott Walker's administration are a more accurate reflection of how the state is doing.

But even if the figures released Wednesday are accurate, the 23,300 jobs created in 2011 are far from the 62,500 needed per year for Walker to meet his 2010 campaign pledge to create 250,000 by 2015.

And the new figures cover both private and public jobs while Walker's promise was only for private sector jobs.

Still, the new numbers based on a census of Wisconsin employers instead of a much smaller survey show a net gain of 23,300 jobs instead of a loss of 33,900 jobs.

University of Wisconsin-Madison economist Andrew Reschovsky says the data is more accurate. Wells Fargo Fund Management economist Brian Jacobsen agrees.

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