Governor Scott Walker’s DWD Secretary defends the timing of revised jobs numbers. Department of Workforce Development Secretary Reggie Newson insists there’s nothing questionable about the release of these revised numbers. “We felt the need to share it with the public, because employers, job creators and job seekers need to know the truth about the actual job picture in the state of Wisconsin, so they can make informed decisions about growing their businesses, expanding their businesses, and adding jobs,” Newson said during a media conference call on Wednesday.
The release of the numbers comes with a little less than three weeks remaining before Newson’s boss, Governor Scott Walker, faces recall. Newson was pressed on that point. “This has nothing to do with that,” he said.
In an unusual move, the state has speeded up release of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages which, Newson said, show the state added more than 23,000 jobs during the governor’s first term in office.
