<B>Barack Obama faces new charges that U.S. jobless numbers were manipulated before 2012 presidential election</B>
Michelle Jamrisko, Bloomberg News | 19/11/13 | Last Updated: 19/11/13 7:58 PM ET
Investigations have begun into whether unemployment numbers heading into the 2012 U.S. presidential election were manipulated. The jobless rate unexpectedly dropped to 7.8% in September 2012 from 8.1% the month earlier, the Labor Department reported on Oct. 5 of that year, one month before the presidential election. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg at the time projected an increase to 8.2%.
Jack Welch, the former chief executive officer of General Electric Co. charged in October 2012 that the unemployment report had been manipulated to help President Barack Obamaâs re-election effort. He was attacked for his suggestion with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis saying the accusation was âridiculousâ.
Now the Labor Department has contacted the Census Bureau about allegations of manipulation contained in a New York Post article.
The paper interviewed an employee in the Census Bureau who admitted to fabricating interviews for the unemployment survey.
âWe have contacted the Census Bureau about the allegations and we understand that the matter has been referred to the Commerce Department for an investigation,â Stephen Barr, a senior managing director in the Labor Departmentâs Office of Public Affairs, said. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Census Bureau, announced it will open an investigation into the matter.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/1...edium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: NP_Top_Stories (National%20Post%20-%20Top%20Stories)
Michelle Jamrisko, Bloomberg News | 19/11/13 | Last Updated: 19/11/13 7:58 PM ET
Investigations have begun into whether unemployment numbers heading into the 2012 U.S. presidential election were manipulated. The jobless rate unexpectedly dropped to 7.8% in September 2012 from 8.1% the month earlier, the Labor Department reported on Oct. 5 of that year, one month before the presidential election. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg at the time projected an increase to 8.2%.
Jack Welch, the former chief executive officer of General Electric Co. charged in October 2012 that the unemployment report had been manipulated to help President Barack Obamaâs re-election effort. He was attacked for his suggestion with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis saying the accusation was âridiculousâ.
Now the Labor Department has contacted the Census Bureau about allegations of manipulation contained in a New York Post article.
The paper interviewed an employee in the Census Bureau who admitted to fabricating interviews for the unemployment survey.
âWe have contacted the Census Bureau about the allegations and we understand that the matter has been referred to the Commerce Department for an investigation,â Stephen Barr, a senior managing director in the Labor Departmentâs Office of Public Affairs, said. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Census Bureau, announced it will open an investigation into the matter.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/1...edium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: NP_Top_Stories (National%20Post%20-%20Top%20Stories)
