Gardner trying mightily to tie Markey to Obama on job losses

Employment numbers are down in the 4th Congressional District, but not as far down as the rest of the state or the country, according to Coloradoan Editor Bob Moore.

Analyzing the jobs report for 2009, Moore predicted with job losses primarily in the urban centers of the district, U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, a Democrat, could see those numbers chained to her by opponent Republican state Rep. Cory Gardner. Moore said with Republicans working to link congressional candidates to Barack Obama and the state of the economy, Markey will struggle to contrast herself with Gardner.

Pointing to Wednesday’s Department of Labor and Statistics release of 2009’s Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages report, the Coloradoan extrapolated job loss numbers for the district, finding that non-farm jobs decreased in 16 counties 3.7 percent between 2008 and 2009. That is in comparison to job losses across the nation of 4.6 percent and 4.7 percent in the state over the same period of time.

The data showed that more urbanized Weld and Larimer counties lost 4.2 percent of jobs between 2008 and 2009, while the rural parts of the district lost only 1.2 percent of their jobs.

Whether the loss of 9,500 jobs is still being felt in the district in 2010, and whether Markey is tied to Obama’s White House, may provide an indication as to how voters will place their allegiances in the urban centers that largely were Markey’s stronghold come Nov. 2.

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