Thursday, March 4, 2010

It must have been the snow!

In case you missed it, recently the White House said to expect poor job numbers and in part blamed the unemployment spike on the heavy snow wreaking havoc all over the country. If that’s not spin, we don’t know what is!

Today, the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported that Massachusetts unemployment increased to 9.5%. While they’re not blaming inclement weather, the office says the Commonwealth reported a net gain of 400 jobs. That’s fine and dandy, but the fact of the matter is under the Patrick-Murray Administration, thousands of people have lost their jobs. Though some of the job loss can be blamed on the poor global economy, Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray have done nothing positive to help create and retain jobs here in Massachusetts. We know the Patrick-Murray Administration likes to be fast and loose with facts but there’s no hiding the fact that since they took office more than 105,000 jobs have been lost.

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development also reported today that close to 330,000 people are unemployed as of today. That number doesn’t even include those workers who are considered under-employed or those who have exhausted their unemployment benefits.

Governor Patrick needs to stop spending his time raising money in New York and spend a little more time here working to put people back to work. After all, the voters of Massachusetts didn’t elect him to hobnob with New York’s richest, they elected him to govern the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.