In the news: Helpap talks political fallout with jobs numbers release

New jobs numbers out Wednesday (Dec. 18) made news here and statewide, and one local station turned to UW-Green Bay’s David Helpap to discuss the potential fallout for Gov. Scott Walker. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report ranks Wisconsin 37th in private-sector job growth for April, May and June, compared with 32nd for the three months prior. The numbers could hurt Walker politically as he’s falling short of his promise to create 250,000 jobs, said Helpap, assistant professor of Public and Environmental Affairs (Political Science). “If he would have said, ‘I’m going to create jobs’ and didn’t actually say how many, well then it’s a little bit, there’s a little bit more room for discussion,” Helpap told WLUK, Fox 11’s Kelly Schlicht. “But if you put that concrete number out there, that’s what the public is going to refer to.” Full story.