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
there is no reason to think that the new companies starting up this year will create more jobs per company than did last year’s start-ups. So clearly, 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 is a claim that the argument challenges; the second is an explicit assumption on which that challenge is based.
B. The first is a claim that the argument challenges; the second is a judgment advanced in support of the main conclusion of the argument.
C. The first provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument; the second is an objection that has been raised against that main conclusion.
D. The first provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a judgment advanced in support of that main conclusion.
E. The first and the second are each claims that have been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes.
BID (Boil It Down): Existing Co: New jobs down; Start Ups: Fewer, not hiring more/co -> New jobs down this year
The Goal: We need to identify the purpose of each statement, and the relationship between the two.Statement 1: Proof that one of the two ways to create jobs will fall short, which in turn provides proof for the conclusion that the number of new jobs created this year will fall short of last year’s record.
Statement 2: Ruling out a possibility that could undermine the conclusion (in turn strengthening the conclusion that the number of new jobs created this year will fall short of last year’s record.
The relationship between the two: Both are put forth as proof in favor of the conclusion of the argument.
Formal Recap of Argument:Conclusion: The number of new jobs created this year will be less than the number of new jobs created last year.
Evidence: There are two ways to create new jobs: Existing firms create them or new firms create them. Existing firms have not been creating nearly as many jobs as they did last year, and the number of new firms being created is no more than last year. Furthermore, there is no reason to suppose that the new firms that are being started this year will create more jobs per company than did last year’s new firms.
So now, let’s start with how the options address
the first statement. It supports the argument. See any options that say otherwise?
A, B and E (E states that both bold statements are opposed by the argument. Dump them.So now we’re down to C and D. The first half of options C and D are identical. So let’s recap what the second bolded statement is doing:
providing more proof in support of the conclusion (by ruling out a way that more jobs could be created even if the number of start-ups is about the same as last year).
C says that the second statement is raised to CHALLENGE the conclusion. That’s a 180! Dump it too.D nails it. The first provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument (one of the two sources of job growth (existing companies) won’t produce the same volume of jobs this year; and the second is a judgment (there is no reason to think that the new companies starting up this year will create more jobs per company than did last year’s start-ups) advanced in support of that main conclusion by ruling out a way a similar volume of start-ups this year to last could create even more jobs.
The Bigger PictureEven though bolded statement questions spook many of your competing test-takers, by even understanding which side each bolded statement supports can enable you to slash through incorrect options for a big payout.
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