FAKE NEWS ALERT: Let's fact check Josh Earnest's claim that Obama created 805,000 manufacturing jobs

Shot.

Here’s Josh Earnest at the daily press briefing on Wednesday bragging how President Obama created 805,000 manufacturing jobs as president:

White House says President-elect Trump needs 804 more Carrier deals to match President Obama's jobs record pic.twitter.com/hZwCxWOngp

— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) December 1, 2016

Chaser.

Now here’s Politifact with the truth. From the beginning of Obama’s term, “the number of manufacturing jobs is actually down by about 303,000” (emphasis ours):

After a presidential election decided by Rust Belt voters’ Republican shift, it’s an opportune time to evaluate President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election promise to “create 1 million new manufacturing jobs by the end of 2016” and to “double American exports over the next five years.”

First, manufacturing jobs.

Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that between the time Obama made that promise, amid the 2012 campaign, and October 2016, the number of manufacturing jobs rose by 297,000. That’s well below 1 million.

And you can’t get to 1 million even if you use time frames that are generous to Obama.

If you start from the beginning of Obama’s term — which started in a severe economic downturn — the number of manufacturing jobs is actually down by about 303,000.

Recommended

CBS Is Being Absolutely Dragged Over Battleground State Comments, and It's Glorious

RickRobinson

Advertisement

So, how did Earnest get 805,000? Here’s how:

And if you start counting net gains in manufacturing jobs from their lowest point in early 2010, the gains are strongest, but it’s only an increase of 805,000 — still short of 1 million.

Busted.