WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The battle to control discussion of U.S. job creation has President Bush focusing on the last few months and John Kerry focusing on the last few years.
That's because Bush and Kerry, the two main contenders in this fall's presidential election, can score points against each other depending on which numbers are highlighted.
For Bush's part recent job creation is his preferred focus, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday said employers, outside of agriculture, in 28 states and Washington, D.C., added jobs in July, led in percentage terms by Nevada, Hawaii, Maryland and New Hampshire. The nation as a whole added a meager 32,000 non-farm payroll jobs that month.
For Kerry's part job losses since Bush took office is his preferred focus. That's because three-quarters of the so-called battleground states over which Bush and Kerry are fighting have fewer jobs than they did in January 2001, the bureau said.
The 16 battleground states have lost 315,900 jobs since Bush became president, a 0.7 percent decline.
