Surprise! White House cites sequestration 'headwind' in statement on awful jobs report

Jenn Taylor | 10:32 AM on April 05, 2013

WH econ.adviser re: jobs:"…not the time for Washington to impose more self-inflicted wounds" on econ., asks Congress to replace sequester

— Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) April 5, 2013

It’s not just left-wing pundits and groups like the Center for American Progress trying to tie today’s dismal jobs numbers to “sequester spring.” Now the White House is getting in on the dizzying spin. Unexpectedly!

White House blames sequester for lower than expected job growth of 88,000 new jobs in March, lowering unemployment rate to 7.6 percent.

— Tom Brune (@TomBruneDC) April 5, 2013

WH puts out statement on jobs, suggests sequester playing a role –http://t.co/tSa01moyri

— Alexander Mooney (@AWMooneyDC) April 5, 2013

Alan B. Krueger, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, published this statement on the White House blog:

It is important to bear in mind that the March household and payroll surveys are the first monthly surveys to look at employment since the beginning of sequestration. While the recovery was gaining traction before sequestration took effect, these arbitrary and unnecessary cuts to government services will be a headwind in the months to come, and will cut key investments in the Nation’s future competitiveness. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the sequester will reduce employment by 750,000 full-time equivalent jobs by the end of the year.

Now is not the time for Washington to impose more self-inflicted wounds on the economy. The Administration continues to urge Congress to replace the sequester with balanced deficit reduction, while working to put in place measures to put more Americans back to work like rebuilding our roads and bridges and promoting American manufacturing.