Last year a record number of new manufacturing jobs were created

Last year a record number of new manufacturing jobs were created. Will this year bring another record? Well, any new manufacturing job is created either within an existing company or by the start-up of a new company. Within existing firms, new jobs have been created this year at well below last year’s record pace. At the same time, there is considerable evidence that the number of new companies starting up will be no higher this year than it was last year, and surely the new companies starting up this year will create no more jobs per company than did last year’s start-ups. Clearly, it can be concluded that the number of new jobs created this year will fall short of last year’s record.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
A. The first provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument, the second is a claim that the argument challenges
B. The first is a generalization that the argument seeks to establish, the second is a conclusion that the argument draws in order to support that generalization
C. The first is a generalization that the argument seeks to establish, the second is a judgment that has been advanced in order to challenge that generalization
D. The first is presented as obvious truth on which the argument is based, the second is a claim that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes
E. The first is presented as obvious truth on which the argument is based, the second is a judgment advanced in support of the main conclusion of the argument.