Fox's Gretchen Carlson Continues Right-Wing Media's Disregard Of Economic Reality

Carlson: During Recovery, “The Jobs That Were Actually Increasing Were Government Jobs.” Responding to a discussion about government pay, Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson claimed that government hiring drove post-recession job growth:

[I] think that there has been an increase in jobs in the government over the last four years during the recession when unemployment was at a high level. I think the jobs that were actually increasing were government jobs. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 3/26/13]

For more on right-wing media baselessly crediting the job recovery with government hiring, click here.

But Government Shed Nearly A Quarter Million Jobs Since The Recession's End

Bureau of Labor Statistics: The Government Workforce Shed 742,000 Employees Since June 2009. According to Bureau of Labor Statistic's data, the private sector added a total of 5.2 million jobs since June 2009, while public sector employment declined by 740,000. The upward tick in 2010 was due to administrative needs during the Census.

[Bureau of Labor Statistics, compiled 3/8/13, via Media Matters]