Scott Walker Confuses Magazine Rankings with New Jobs Figures

This is the text of an actual press release from the Walker administration:

Gov. Walker: A year of progress for Wis.' job climate
12/12/2011

Madison—Today Governor Walker released a statement on Wisconsin’s year of progress in improving its economic environment.

“We’ve worked hard this year to create a business environment that encourages job creation,” said Governor Walker. “Business rankings are one way to show the progress we’ve made in moving Wisconsin in the right direction. They also remind us that we must keep working to encourage job creation in our state. Our most important goal remains helping Wisconsin families prosper; these rankings show we are laying the right foundation.”

Earlier this month, the new Forbes 2011 Best States for Business ranking was released. Wisconsin improved to 40th, moving up from 43rd in 2010 and 48th in 2009. Illinois fell behind Wisconsin for the first time in 3 years, falling to 41st. Illinois was 37th in 2010 and 24th in 2009.

Earlier this year, CNBC ranked Wisconsin 25th---up from 29th in 2010.

The Chief Executive Magazine ranking placed Wisconsin at 24th, up from 41st in 2010. Wisconsin’s improvement was the biggest jump in the nation and in the history of the magazine.

All three business rankings improved in 2011---after falling under the previous administration.

Wisconsin also recently ranked 24th in the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council’s Small Business Survival Rankings. Wisconsin moved up from 31st in the previous year.

Magazine rankings -- on any subject -- are notoriously subjective. Just using the examples that Walker cites above, Wisconsin is either in the top half or bottom ten of "states for business," whatever the hell that means. The most striking thing about this press release is the complete and utter lack of jobs numbers.


It seems particularly nonsensical to release this kind of statement a week after nearly 1000 jobs vanished from the Wausau area.


The fact is that Wisconsin's job creation figures in the last three months are abysmal:

Jake at the Economic TA Funhouse has more.