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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Scott Walker stated on April 4, 2018 in a tweet: \"Our bold reforms have Wisconsin’s unemployment rate down to an all-time LOW of 2.9 percent, and the number of people working at an all-time HIGH!\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" half-true/6479cbc723379f0ee49c269b0b9790b7.jpg.\\") ![\\"half- true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") * Economy * Jobs * Government Regulation * Taxes * Wisconsin * Scott Walker ![\\"Gov.](\\" Gov. Scott Walker has credited his policy changes for record-low unemployment and a record-high number of workers. (Michael Sears/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) ![\\"Tom](\\" By Tom Kertscher April 18, 2018 # Record-low unemployment and record-high number of people working due to Scott Walker\'s policies? Two favorite boasts of Republican Scott Walker in his bid for a third term as governor are about unemployment and the number of people working in Wisconsin. He doubled down in this April 4, 2018 tweet, declaring: Our bold reforms have Wisconsin’s unemployment rate down to an all-time LOW of 2.9 percent, and the number of people working at an all-time HIGH! We’ll check the two statistics. But more importantly, as voters begin to ponder the November 2018 election, we’ll also examine Walker’s insistence that both are due to his reforms. The figures Wisconsin’s estimated unemployment rate dipped to 2.9 percent in February 2018, the lowest ever, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, citing the latest figures available when Walker posted his tweet. The article noted that the figures came from a state Department of Workforce Development report that was based on preliminary estimates from a monthly survey with sparse sample sizes and was subject to revision. The same Journal Sentinel article reported that in February 2018, the state also set a record for the total number of people employed, with 3.07 million. It’s worth noting that when Walker previously claimed, in June 2016, that more people were employed in Wisconsin than ever before, we rated his statement Mostly True, noting it didn’t take into account population growth. Now to the role of Walker’s reforms. Walker’s argument Walker’s campaign cited a number of policies that it links to the two statistics, including these. Tax, regulation cuts: In 2015, roughly midway into Walker’s time as governor, University of Wisconsin-Madison economist Noah Williams credited Walker’s reductions in taxes and regulations for the favorable unemployment labor participation rates. Williams was described at the time as an informal adviser to Walker’s 2016 presidential campaign. Manufacturing/agriculture credit: An April 2017 study by the same economist argued that the credit, which took effect in 2013, has \"accounted for a total gain\" of 42,000 jobs. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on August 23, 2024 in a speech in Las Vegas “Kamala cast the tiebreaking vote to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to go after your tip income.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Amy Sherman • August 28, 2024 Food stamp change: More than 25,000 people, according to Walker’s Department of Health Services, gained employment after completing job training that was required under new rules imposed by the Walker administration. To be sure, Wisconsin hasn’t always had high marks during Walker’s tenure. In comparison to other states, Wisconsin hasn’t fared well in rankings for job creation and new business creation. And the job growth wasn’t enough to meet Walker’s promise to create 250,000 jobs during his first term. A governor’s limited role As we’ve noted repeatedly in previous fact checks, the economy is affected by many factors, including national ones, and a governor plays an important -- but only limited -- role in a state’s economy. Marquette University economics professor James McGibany reiterated that to us in assessing Walker’s claim. McGibany said it’s very difficult to tease out how many jobs were created solely because of a policy change, or changes. For example, he said some of the increase in Wisconsin manufacturing jobs during Walker’s tenure is likely due to the overall economy recovering from the 2008-’09 recession. Similarly, some people who had been on food stamps and later found work likely did so because of the overall improvement in the economy, not specifically because of job training requirements. Moreover, McGibany said, low unemployment and high labor participation are being seen in most of the Midwest, including in states governed by Democrats as well as Republicans. \"The point is,\" he said, \"what is going on in Wisconsin is not the exception, but the rule for most of our neighboring states.\" Indeed, even Walker himself has acknowledged there are multiple factors at work. For example, when asked about a week before his tweet why Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is so low, he said it is \"a combination of things -- the biggest thanks for that are to the hard-working employers of the state, because I understand that government doesn’t create jobs, people do … what we did was help create a better business climate.\" Our rating Walker says: \"Our bold reforms have Wisconsin’s unemployment rate down to an all-time LOW of 2.9 percent, and the number of people working at an all-time HIGH!\" Walker is correct on the two statistics. But his various reforms can only be considered to be a contributing factor, at most, given many factors that affect the state’s economy. We rate Walker’s statement Half True. Share the Facts 2018-04-18 13:36:58 UTC PolitiFact ![\\"PolitiFact\\"](\\" logo-big.jpg\\"/) 4 1 7 ![\\"PolitiFact](\\" halftrue.jpg\\") PolitiFact Rating: Half True \"Our bold reforms have Wisconsin’s unemployment rate down to an all-time LOW of 2.9 percent, and the number of people working at an all-time HIGH!\" Scott Walker Wisconsin governor, Republican walker/record-low-unemployment-and-record-high-number-peo/ ![](\\" In a tweet Wednesday, April 4, 2018 2018-04-04 Read More info #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Twitter, Scott Walker tweet, April 4, 2018 Email, Scott Walker campaign spokesman Austin Altenburg, April 9, 2018 Email, Wisconsin Democratic Party spokeswoman Melanie Conklin, April 12, 2018 PolitiFact Wisconsin, \"Is Scott Walker right that there are more people working than ever?\" June 27, 2016 PolitiFact Wisconsin, \"Scott Walker says Wisconsin percentage of people working is 5 points higher than nation,\" Aug. 21, 2015 Forbes, \"Under Scott Walker, Wisconsin Has Prospered--Keep That In Mind For 2016,\" July 20, 2015 The Federalist, \"Yes, Scott Walker Did Back Wisconsin’s Economy Away From A Cliff,\" May 30, 2017 Gov. Scott Walker, news release, Dec. 26, 2017 Wisconsin Department of Health Services, news release, Jan 31, 2018 University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, \"The Impact of the Manufacturing and Agriculture Credit in Wisconsin,\" April 19, 2017 Email, Marquette University economics professor James McGibany, April 11, 2018 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Tom Kertscher slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on July 19, 2023 in an Instagram post: A wind turbine must “spin continually for over four years just to replace the energy it took to manufacture it.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • July 28, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" TikTok posts stated on July 15, 2023 in un video en TikTok: \"Biden elimina ‘tráfico sexual de menores’ como una de las prioridades del Departamento de Justicia de su gobierno”. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Maria Briceño • July 25, 2023 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on July 17, 2023 in an Instagram post: \"Florida to ban mRNA vaccines as credible evidence of biological weapons.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • July 18, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 26, 2023 in a Facebook post: Video suggests Canada wildfires were deliberately set to advance “smart cities” push. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 30, 2023 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on August 26, 2023 in a video: Women vaccinated against COVID-19 face \"unknown side effects that could perpetually go down through the lineage\" to their children. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 29, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 25, 2023 in a Facebook post: As of Aug. 25, \"Luis Rubiales has resigned as the president of the Spanish Football Federation.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 29, 2023 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on August 24, 2023 in an Instagram post: The World Health Organization said there is \"a possible causal relationship\" between COVID-19 vaccines and multiple sclerosis. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 28, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 9, 2023 in a Facebook post: Video shows military planes over Nashville \"dispersing materials into the atmosphere\" for geoengineering. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 23, 2023 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willing children.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 9, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" TikTok posts stated on June 22, 2023 in a post: A new law allows people to permanently erase unpaid debt older than two years from their credit records. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 1, 2023 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on July 28, 2023 in a video: “Skin cancer is a relatively new phenomenon in the last 60 years or so.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 1, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on July 26, 2023 in a Facebook post: Says Bill Gates said, “We’re taking things that are genetically modified organisms, and we’re injecting them into little kids’ arms” in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • July 31, 2023 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Our bold reforms have Wisconsin’s unemployment rate down to an alltime LOW of 29 percent and the number of people working at an alltime HIGH