NAFTA and JOBS: The Greatest Story Never Told

Political games happen when a politician or one who aspires to be one has no record to run on and picks an issue where most people have little or no understanding and starts the blame game.  In this years Presidential election the issue is NAFTA.  The issue came up also in the Presidential elections of 2008 and 2012.  Trump is trying to make it an issue in this years election and the theme is that it kills jobs in America and sends those jobs overseas.

Although NAFTA is more than just jobs by any stretch of the imagination this commentary will be about jobs since that is what is being talked about.  NAFTA became effective in January of 1994 and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.  The talk of NAFTA started many years before Bill Clinton came upon the Washington scene.  The U.S. Senate passed NAFTA by a 61-38 margin with republicans supplying the majority yes vote with 34 and the democrats with 27.  The measure was passed in December of 1993.

During President Reagan's 8 years in office 16.1 million jobs were created.  During President George H.W. Bush's 4 years in office 2.5 million jobs were created for a total of 18.6 million jobs for those 12 years and NAFTA was not in effect any of those years.  During President Clinton's 8 years in office 22.7 million jobs were created, more than the Reagan-Bush years in the 12 years they served.  NAFTA was in effect during Clinton's terms in office.

During President George W. Bush's 8 years in office 1.1 million jobs were created and NAFTA was in effect during his 8 years in office.  So the Administration of Bill Clinton created more jobs in 8 years than Reagan-Bush 41 and Bush 43 did in the 20 years they served.  President Obama has been in office 7 years and 9 months and more than 15 million jobs have been created on his watch while NAFTA is in effect and President Obama inherited the worst economic conditions and a record loss of jobs since the great depression.

That means 37.7 million jobs were created under the Clinton and Obama administrations as of this date and under NAFTA conditions and only 18.6 million jobs under Reagan and Bush 41 while NAFTA was no where in sight.  Throw in President George W. Bush's poor job creation record under NAFTA conditions and one can easily see how the democratic administrations of Clinton and Obama did so much better creating jobs.

NAFTA does indeed reduce jobs in the United States but it is democratic President's policies concerning the economy that produces jobs and reduces the affect NAFTA has on exporting jobs.  And democratic plans and policies work better for creating a better economy and producing American jobs than the conservative ideology of republican Presidents.

If journalists were up to date they could have reported the facts long ago when republican guests on their shows say democratic administrations are job killers.  But they remain silent and fail to inform their viewers and the people.  But good thing there is a record, and the record speaks loud and clear with the facts.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Note:  Source of information on job creation as used here in.  There are many on line reports of job creation under Presidential administrations and Wikipedia.  Some give job numbers that are not exactly the same as used above but the difference is so small it does not change the real numbers.