Crunching the numbers: Furlong offers take on latest state jobs figures

WLUK, Fox 11’s Andrew LaCombe turned to Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences Scott Furlong Thursday (Sept. 18), seeking a political scientist’s perspective on the latest Wisconsin job numbers. Figures out Thursday show the state’s August unemployment rate at 5.6 percent, while a national report shows Wisconsin ranking 33rd in the country in job creation for the year that ended in March. “There’s lots of different ways of interpreting, and there’s lots of different numbers that you can pick,” Furlong said. He added that Gov. Scott Walker and challenger Mary Burke will focus on select portions of the latest stats as they try to court undecided voters. “You’re seeing both candidates at this point, in terms of their political ads, trying to go after the economic points of each individual candidate,” Furlong said. Full story.