How Pruitt Built His Coal Job Lie: By Including All Mining Jobs In Every Sector

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2. Pruitts claim that almost 50,000 jobs have been gained in coal

Pruitt’s claim that ‘almost 50,000 jobs’ have been gained in coal

By Glenn Kessler June 6 at 3:00 AM

The Facts

On “Meet the Press,” Pruitt flatly stated that almost 50,000 jobs have been added in the coal sector. Many readers asked about this claim, noting that there are only about 50,000 jobs in coal. Here’s the Bureau of Labor Statistics data on coal jobs. As you can see, it has been in a tight range for months, with a slight gain. In the last four months of the Obama administration, September to January, there was a gain of 1,400 jobs. In the first four months of the Trump administration, there has been a gain of 1,000 jobs.



Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

On the other programs, Pruitt more carefully referred to “mining and coal” or “coal jobs, mining jobs.” You can see how he tries to slip in the word “mining.” That’s a sign that this is a carefully crafted spin. He emphasizes coal while trying to be technically correct by slipping in a reference to mining.

Here’s the BLS data on mining jobs.



Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

If you go back to October, you end up with a gain of 47,000 jobs. That’s Pruitt’s “nearly 50,000.” (From April to May, there was a gain of 6,600 jobs — that’s Pruitt’s 7,000.)
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Four Pinocchios



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Glenn Kessler has reported on domestic and foreign policy for more than three decades. He would like your help in keeping an eye on public figures. Send him statements to fact check by emailing him, tweeting at him, or sending him a message on Facebook. Follow @GlennKesslerWP

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There was this comment:

grkatz
4:37 PM EDT {Edited}

Are Pinocchios calculated on a logarithmic scale?

Under the Trump administration, they should be.

And this reply:

BlackHawk7
4:42 PM EDT

Let's say a Richter-Lie Scale. 0-9 with 8 or 9 catastrophic. Trump would be about a 9 most of the time.