Forget an October surprise — here’s one for November: The economy last month chalked up 171,000 new jobs, the US Labor Department reported yesterday.
President Obama’s on a roll. America’s troubles are over. Don’t change course now.
Or so the Obama folks would have Americans believe.
Ha! Americans know better.
Fact is, that kind of job growth isn’t even enough to keep pace with the natural expansion of the population.
And, notably, the official unemployment rate rose, to 7.9 percent. Meaning it’s higher now than when Barack Obama took office.
Add in underemployed workers and the rate jumps to 14.6 percent, not a lick better than when George W. Bush stepped down.
Meaning Obama spent $832 billion on a stimulus package — just to have America’s economy spin its wheels.
More to the point, a month or two of numbers do not a presidential record make.
Even if the new jobs figure (which, by the way, is subject to revision) did represent good news, it would pale next to what’s happened over the past four years.
Remember, Americans endured a period of 43 straight months — more than 3 1/2 years — of 8 percent-plus joblessness.
Today, some 23 million people remain out of work or underemployed.
Let’s face it: America’s economy has stagnated. Yesterday’s Labor report only underscores the failure of Obamanomics: If this is what they’re touting as good news, then America, under Obama, has seen some rough times for sure.
And who knows what next month will bring? Or next year, when — if Obama is re-elected — he’ll push for massive tax hikes that will throttle the economy further?
No, take these job numbers in context.
“Positive” economic news for a month, released four days before the election, can’t wash away Obama’s sorry jobs record.