Donald Trump, keeping in line with his persona, has not been shy in promoting the employment record of Mike Pence, who is the Governor of Indiana and his running mate.
Many have begun to question the accuracy of Trump’s claims, however. Specifically, Trump has cited how in January 2013, when Pence became governor, unemployment was at 8.4 percent; now, apparently, it is five percent.
The truth of the matter is that while Indiana has indeed seen a dramatic decrease in unemployment, so has the rest of the nation.
When Pence took office, unemployment in Indiana was slightly higher than that of the entire nation— and it remains so.
Total nonfarm employment in Indiana increased by 150,900 positions since Pence first took office in January 2013. This 5.2 percent increase in nonfarm employment actually lags the 6.4 percent rate found in the entire nation.
Indiana is one of 32 states to have seen a record year in terms of employment numbers this year, which makes its claim to record employment levels not quite as impressive.
Trump has also inaccurately said that employment is “down 40, 50, 60 percent in some cases” in regards to most states.
Only six states have had decreased employment rates in the past year, and most of these rates are around three percent, at highest.
North Dakota and Wyoming, two states hurt by fluctuating oil prices, for example, have been two victims of unemployment.
Regardless of how other states did, it is still important to highlight how Pence did indeed do his job in terms of job creation.
Also, in regards to actual unemployment statistics in Indiana, Trump is accurate.
