(CNN) -- It was a big applause line, one of many for former President Bill Clinton Wednesday night. Speaking to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Clinton -- whose presidency unfolded during a boom era for the U.S. economy -- told delegates that Democratic administrations had a nearly 2-to-1 advantage over Republicans in creating jobs. "Since 1961, for 52 years now, the Republicans have held the White House 28 years, the Democrats 24," Clinton said. "In those 52 years, our private economy has produced 66 million private-sector jobs. So what's the job score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42."
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Clinton says Democratic administrations produce more private-sector jobs
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Federal statistics show his numbers are a bit off, but not substantially
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GOP terms were hit more by recessions, while population growth may have helped Dems
Democrats, meanwhile, were also helped by population growth: A bigger country should produce more jobs, and @placeholder have held office for nearly 12 of the past 20 years.