Romney's claim on female jobs loss: Missing context
(CNN) – Mitt Romney, eager to close the persistent gender gap opening up between himself and President Barack Obama, has begun using an eyebrow-raising statistic on the campaign trail.
"Did you know that of all the jobs lost during the Obama years, 92.3% are women? During the Obama years, women have suffered," Romney told a crowd Tuesday in Pennsylvania.
He made the claim again Wednesday in an interview on Fox News, saying "Over 92% of the jobs lost under this president were lost by women. His polices have been really a war on women."
An analysis of federal labor statistics shows that the claim is technically true but is missing important context.
The number of non-farm employed women from January 2009, when Obama took office, to March 2012 did fall far more than the number of employed men in that period. The total job loss for the period for both men and women combined was 740,000. The number of women who lost non-farm jobs in that timespan was 683,000, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That amounts to 92.3% - the figure Romney cites in his campaign talking point. However, the statistic does not reflect that men constituted a much larger chunk of the job loss pie in the year leading up to Obama’s inauguration.
In the 2008 calendar year, men lost a total of 2.7 million non-farm jobs, compared to 895,000 jobs lost for women. Men made up 75.4% of the 3.6 million jobs lost that year.
Romney’s claim also does not reflect that job loss for women began in March 2008, almost a full year before Obama took office. At that point, women held a total of 67.3 million non-farm payroll jobs, the highest level of female employment of the Bush administration. From that high point, the number of women with non-farm payroll jobs fell for 23 consecutive months, spanning from the final 10 months of the Bush administration and first 13 months of the Obama administration. Since February 2010, women have actually gained 863,000 jobs.
CNN Political Research Director Robert Yoon contributed to this report.
Also see:
Romney on Santorum: 'This has been a good day for me'
Deamheads:
Read it again...From January 2009 to March 2012..."The total job loss for the period, including men and women, totaled 740,000. The number of women who lost non-farm jobs in that timespan was 683,000." So, you take 740,000 minus 683,000 (number of woman lost job)+ 57,000 men. That is 92.3%.
Women especially minority women, are you making more than your male counterparts? Are things better for you than 4 years ago. After honest assessment, I think you will find that the Hope is Hopeless and the Change, changless. No change to believe in. Don't feel bad, I fell for it too!
Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice shame on me. Not going to listen to any media this time...I made up my own mind.
Romney/Rubio?? 2012
It was a pretty dubious claim, and in context it makes sense. However, most people will have their blinders on and hear what they want to.
Women have become about contraception, reproductive rights, the Feminist movement is not interested in finances, so birth control, abortion will be the deciding factor for the 2012 election not money, buying a home, etc... this is not where women are.
Would just like to point out to save the Repubs a little work........you've already lost the womens vote!!!!!!!!!!
And i believe CNN- REALLY???? Try researching for yourself in other venues besides media propaganda. Bahhhh Bahhhhh Bahhhh poor little liberal sheep who are too lazy to do their own homework.
Mitt, your everything sucks & everthing blows slogan, I just aint feelin it. & you sure are popular with the Ladies.
"How about the ones who are really taking the hit for Obama's reckless spending? The children. And their kids. And their grandkids. Because they are in more debt than we ever had to worry about, almost 40% of it just in the last 3 years."
Actually, again, since the Bush tax cuts, unfunded wars and unfunded prescription drug program are the largest contributing factors to the deficits and debts....AND since the deficit has decreased under Obama, major cuts have been made, an unfunded war has been brought mostly to a close, etc....the real cause of problems for our future generations was the GOP's fanatical adherence to randian reaganomic trickle-down daydreams, magic thinking unicorn fart economic policies and redistribution of the nation's wealth upwards to shore up the plutocracy they hope will entrench them in the WH and control of Congress forever. Ignoring WHY the debt has risen 40% in the past 3 years is a great way to sound uninformed...but hey, you're trying to disinform anyway, so no bggy, right?
Go Mitt! Tell the world the truth about Obama's record because he certainly will not tell us the truth and will not be running on his record – we deserve to know. Obama is the one who lies.
Romney lied ? And this is news ? The Media better keep close tabs on what comes out of the Romney Campaign; they'll do ANYTHING to beat Barrack Hussein Obama.
@myviewis
You are so right! Women do think more with the heart. However, I don't think that Obama is all that charming. I get mad when I see him laughing and saying "I guess those shovel ready jobs weren't so shovel ready, ha ha!" or "wait until the election is over and Russia, I can be more flexible with nuclear weapons." What?
This President only likes to take vacations. He even allowed his own daughter to go to dangerous Mexico while he was out campaigning and Mom was on David Letterman. Is that responsible and charming...not!
Romney was my governor and we had a balanced budget. Obama hasn't given women one yet! After 3 years. Women would you run you homes without some type of budget? Probably not! So why do you let him get away with this. The Ryan budget may not be the absolute best, but a least it is a budget. Its better than nothing!!!!!
Romney/Portman??? 2012
As was pointed out earlier and ignored......businesses were already failing before President Obama was inaugurated!!! Unemployment had already gotten a start into todays figures and I have family members who can prove that!!!!
!
@No More Hope and Change;
Having problems with reading the whole article and not presenting all the facts? Funny enough, that is the same thing CNN is calling Willard out on. Here; let me help:
"The Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains that unemployment trends usually hit men first, and women are affected afterwards.
In the 2008 calendar year, men constituted a much larger chuck of the job loss pie. In total, 3,644,000 jobs were lost in 2008, 75.4% of which were men."
Missing context? That is nothing new for Mitt and Rove. Cf. Rove's lame attempt with his ed-op in the Wall Street Journal. Mitt putting McCain's words in President Obama's mouth in that pathetic TV ad. Mitt cuts and pastes his own endorsements, for Pete's Sake! No matter what double-speak Mitt does from now on, he's already lost the womens' vote-lock, stock and barrel.
@normajean
I am a dem from Massachusetts and a woman. Republicans will have a lot more of us since dems believe we are only about abortion and contraception. I am way past that. I am 50 and not part of the baby scene. Many Clinton dems like me will go to Romney since he isn't quite as conservative (far right wing nut). Better than Obama who is so left wing extremist. So don't rule out the vote. Also, Romney could choose the governor of NM, a Latino woman with executive skills. Not like Sarah Palin.
poor Mitt, he is takig a beatin with the ladies, I sure hope he dont take it out on his puppy. Run Puppy, Run!
Mittens has defenders of his dismal governorship in MA? He did not run for reelection because his approval rate was in the lower 40s, and he trailed every democratic candidate in a head to head match up for governor.
@No More Hope and Change Obama, I'm female and a small business owner and things are much better for me. On the day the President took office, unemployment was at 7.9% and we were shedding jobs at a rate of 750,000 per month, the stock market was tanking, banks were failing, home prices had dropped 30%, the auto industry was teetering on the brink and almost 50 million Americans had no health insurance. Obama can boast of a turnaround in every single one of those items. Romney, on the other hand, took the state of Massachusetts from 10th in job creation to 47th in the nation.
@No More Hope and Change Obama
I totally agree with you but all women have become about is how charming Obama is and about the reproductive system, contraception, abortion. The Feminist movement is extremely strong and I don't see women fighting for jobs, education, buying a home, security, be in control of ones life. We women have lost all care about finances and kids, the future of our country. We are about give me contraception, abortion, birth control pills forget about a good paycheck, retirement plan, etc...
Sniffit
... since the deficit has decreased under Obama...
________________________________________________________________________
Really? Obama's $3.9 trillion of deficits in three years is a new record for the American federal government. The next closest was George W. Bush from 2006, 2007 and 2008 at $2.0 trillion. Nothing to be proud of, but certainly not in Obama's league.
Romney/ Ryan 2012
All that those numbers mean is that the higher paying jobs were cut before the lower paying jobs. In other words, men were laid off before the lower paid women were laid off. Look at it from the bottom line perspective. No one was looking at gender, on lthe P/L statements.
What does the blame game do for the recovery? NOTHING. Women may have lost more jobs because in many cases the last one in was let go. Women have had a difficult time getting hired for jobs that are in line with their education. Job losses began before 2009 and both parties need to be blamed. As they should be right now for not putting together a plan to keep us on track. No help from the Republican leadership and too many chiefs in both parties.
The point should be that less women have been hired on a consistent basis. How many women did Mr. Romney's companies hire? What were the positions? How many lost their jobs after 2009? For those who think that this happened because of the President I would remind you that the first aid package was passed before he was inaugurated. The Republicans held the White House at the time and many agreed that the package needed to be passes. Please remember we were fighting a war which we were not paying for. Instead the vast surplus acquired during the Clinton years was spent rapidly.
Wow, what a rousing crowd!!!! That's the kind of support it will take to defeat Obama in November. Oh wait, no it's not... only ones excited about Romney are war-mongering GOP establishment who profit from wars and banksters. Ron Paul is the only candidate who can garner they type of fervant support it will take to win the general election. The rEVOLution will not be televised #RonPaul2012
Hey CNN while your out here "Fact checking" Romney, why don't you ask the Obama admin why they lied to us about his Helth Care law not "adding one cent to the deficit" while we find out it will add at least 300 BILLION according to new reports?
More Facts: The housing crisis is far from over with foreclosures growing, Fanny and fredy costing us almost 200 BILLION and counting, no budgets passed from Harry Ried's senate in three years, Obama's budgets receiving ZERO VOTES in Congress and WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHATS REALLY IN THE HEALTH CARE BILL 2 YEARS AFTER IT WAS PASSED.
"Deamheads:
Read it again...From January 2009 to March 2012..."The total job loss for the period, including men and women, totaled 740,000. The number of women who lost non-farm jobs in that timespan was 683,000." So, you take 740,000 minus 683,000 (number of woman lost job)+ 57,000 men. That is 92.3%."
Deamheads:
Read it again...That amounts to 92.3% – the figure Romney cites in his campaign talking point. However, Romney doesn't detail the jobs loss situation for men, which was at its worst before Obama became president. The Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains that unemployment trends usually hit men first, and women are affected afterwards. In the 2008 calendar year, men constituted a much larger chuck of the job loss pie. In total, 3,644,000 jobs were lost in 2008, 75.4% of which were men.
Rmoney is a deceiver and you got played.
Where do Mitt get this pop corn information from. I'm no fan of former President Bush jr. but he did have conviction