Fact-Checking Martin Nesbitt

State Senate Majority Leader Martin Nesbitt (D-Buncombe) made some bold jobs claims in a Tuesday talk to a Democrat group in Charlotte:

Nesbitt, an Asheville Democrat, also touted new figures that show North Carolina led the nation in job gains from July to August and ranked fourth in the country in gains over the last 12 months – numbers that he said argue for continued Democratic leadership in Raleigh.

To examine this claim, we can have a look at the latest labor market report from the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.

On those job gains from July to August, the report says:

Seasonally adjusted, total non-farm industry employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment sur­vey, increased by 18,600 jobs over the past month to 3,912,500. 

So far, so good. Looks like good numbers. Maybe even the best in the nation as Nesbitt claims. But then read the next line in the ESC report:

The largest over-the-month increase occurred in Government (+13,800).

So 74% of the new jobs are government jobs.  And, if we look at overall employment, not just non-farm industry, we get:

The number of people employed (seasonally adjusted) decreased by 14,743 workers to 4,054,915. (emphasis mine)

Further, let’s look at the number gains over the last 12 months:

The monthly payroll survey of employers in North Carolina showed an increase of 18,600 (0.5%) in seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm employment since July 2010, and an increase of 36,700 (0.9%) since August 2009. The current total is 3,912,500 jobs.

 Since August 2009, Government added the largest number of jobs (28,100; 4.0%). Professional & Business Services reported an increase of 23,200 (5.1%). Education & Health Services increased 6,900 (1.3%), followed by Information, 2,600 (3.8%). No other industries reported a gain over the year.

So since last August, 28,100 of the 36,700 new jobs are with the government (77%).

In short, 3 out of 4 new jobs in NC since last month and last August are government jobs.

And let’s not forget the decade of job destruction we’ve experienced under the current leadership, with the number of unemployed in our state tripling since 2000.

Is this really the kind of jobs record Nesbitt wants to tout as reason “for continued Democratic leadership in Raleigh”?