Free | 23/6
Posted: 5/31/2012
MADISON, Wis. Republican Gov. Scott Walker's administration said Wednesday that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has finalized higher job numbers for Wisconsin for 2011, which would blunt one of his opponents' biggest arguments against him just six days before he stands for recall.However, Walker's Democratic opponent in the recall, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, told reporters that he doesn't believe Walker's administration and he wants to see official confirmation.'Anybody has a right to be suspicious,' Barrett said.Walker's Department of Workforce Development provided an email to The Associated Press on Wednesday from the bureau's staff that shows it gave final approval to the numbers. The email did not say what number the bureau approved, but Workforce Development spokesman John Dipko said it was 23,608, which would be dramatically better job creation in the state than figures based on a different survey of businesses.Dipko said the numbers would be provided to the AP on Thursday and published on the state's website Friday.Though Tuesday's recall was sparked by Walker's proposal effectively ending collective bargaining rights for most state workers, much of the truncated campaign has focused on Walker's performance related to the economy. In an unusual move, Walker released the fresh job creation numbers two weeks ago, before the federal bureau had approved them.Barrett has accused Walker of 'cooking the books' and trying to spin the numbers to his advantage.The labor bureau isn't scheduled to publish the new numbers until three weeks after the election. No one at the agency's regional office in Chicago answered the phone after hours Wednesday.However, according to Walker's administration, the final figures confirmed by the bureau show the state gained 23,608 jobs in 2011, rather than losing 33,900 jobs, which was the worst in the nation. That figure would also be 287 hi