Let’s carefully analyze this GMAT argument question step by step.
🔹 Step 1: Identify the conclusion and reasoning
Argument summary:
Critics say Delmont caused job losses.
Advertisement claims:
More jobs were created than lost.
Average pay of newly created jobs each year > average pay of jobs citywide.
Conclusion: Therefore, the average paycheck in the city has been steadily increasing under Delmont.
Underlying assumption:
The argument assumes that creating higher-paying new jobs automatically increases the citywide average pay, regardless of what happens to the jobs that were eliminated.
🔹 Step 2: Identify what would weaken the argument
To weaken the argument, we need a fact showing that even though new jobs are high-paying, something else might lower the average citywide pay.
🔹 Step 3: Evaluate answer choices
A. The unemployment rate in the city is higher today than it was when Mayor Delmont took office.
❌ Irrelevant. Higher unemployment doesn’t directly contradict the claim about the average pay of jobs in the city.
B. The average pay for jobs in the city was at a ten-year low when Mayor Delmont took office.
❌ Irrelevant. This is just background info; it doesn’t affect whether average pay has increased steadily.
C. Each year during Mayor Delmont’s tenure, the average pay for jobs that were eliminated has been higher than the average pay for jobs citywide.
✅ Strong. This shows that high-paying jobs were being lost, which could offset the higher pay of newly created jobs. The citywide average could stay the same or even drop, despite the creation of new high-paying jobs. This directly attacks the conclusion.
D. Most of the jobs eliminated during Mayor Delmont’s tenure were in declining industries.
❌ Interesting but irrelevant. “Declining industries” doesn’t necessarily affect the average pay calculation.
E. The average pay for jobs in the city is currently lower than it is for jobs in the suburbs surrounding the city.
❌ Irrelevant. Comparison with suburbs doesn’t affect the claim about citywide average pay trends.
✅ Step 4: Correct Answer
C — because it shows that the high-paying jobs being eliminated could prevent the citywide average from increasing, directly weakening the advertisement’s conclusion.
💡 Key takeaway:
Argument traps: The ad assumes only new jobs matter.
Weakener strategy: Look for info about lost jobs or other factors that counter the claim about average pay.