Did the number of jobs in Pennsylvania really fall during the Clinton administration, as Sen. Obama says?

Um, actually, no.

• Unemployment Down to 4.1%: The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania declined from 7.3% to 4.1% from 1993 to 2001.
• 503,600 New Jobs: 503,600 new jobs were created in Pennsylvania during the Clinton administration -- an average of 71,096 jobs per year. In contrast, an average of 500 jobs were lost each year under the previous administration.
• 486,300 New Private Sector Jobs: Since 1993, 486,300 new private sector jobs were created—an average of 68,654 jobs per year, compared to an average loss of 2,325 private sector jobs per year in the previous administration.
• 43,600 New Construction Jobs: 43,600 construction jobs were created in Pennsylvania since 1993 -- an average of 6,155 jobs per year. In contrast, an average of 8,775 construction jobs were lost each year during the previous administration.
• Poverty Has Fallen: Nationally, the poverty rate has fallen from 15.1% in 1993 to 12.7% in 1998. In Pennsylvania, the poverty rate has fallen from 13.2% in 1993 to 11.2% in 1998 --down 2.0% under President Clinton. [Census Bureau]