Do governors control job gains and losses?

As we checked the latest in a flood of claims about job growth — one by Texas Gov. Rick Perry and others by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney — we noticed that over the past five months, PolitiFact researchers looked into job-creation and job-loss claims about governors in Florida, Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas and Wisconsin.

And?

Not one of the 11 statements rated True.  

In an Iowa TV ad that debuted this week, Perry says that “in Texas, we created over 1 million new jobs while the rest of the nation lost over 2 million.” We found this Half True.

In an email blast, Romney’s campaign leveled several charges to the effect that unemployment in Texas undermines Perry’s appeal. That too was rated Half True.

PolitiFact reporters have repeatedly found that job statistics — gains or losses — in a state can’t be pinned on the top officeholder. Too many factors are in play for a single state official to merit credit or blame, experts advise.

Even when it’s the governor.