Fraudulent Job Data Released By Federal Government

Kudos to the MJS for getting on the story of widespread fraud in the government’s job report.

A stimulus job report that says more than 10,000 jobs were saved or created in Wisconsin is rife with errors, double counting and inflated numbers based more on satisfying federal formulas than creating real jobs, a Journal Sentinel review has found.

In one case, five jobs were mistakenly listed as 50 - and then counted twice. In another, pay raises to workers were listed as saving more than 100 jobs. And in another, jobs were listed as saved even though the money had not been received and no work on the project had begun.

The problems mirror those surfacing around the country, as the federal numbers claiming 640,000 jobs created or saved by stimulus money are being scrutinized.

Here’s my favorite one…

United Migrant Opportunity Services based in Milwaukee reported saving 113 jobs through spending $18,000 of a Head Start preschool grant, or about $160 per job. The award provided their employees a 1.8% cost-of-living wage increase. The nonprofit provides services to migrant farm workers in Wisconsin and other states.

“We think the 113 jobs were preserved, but more importantly, the quality of teachers and Head Start child development staff was maintained,” UMOS spokesman Rod Ritcherson said.

In total, 157 jobs were reported saved as part of 17 Head Start grants in Wisconsin, all attributed to cost-of-living increases.

...what’s yours?