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U.S. president-elect Donald Trump calls on a reporter during a press conference Jan. 11, 2017, at Trump Tower.

President Donald Trump says he'll be "the greatest jobs producer that God ever created."

To beat his presidential peers, what will Mr. Trump have to accomplish?

We looked at job creation under 12 full presidencies for which monthly data are available, spanning from Harry Truman through Barack Obama, and tallied the total change in non-farm payroll employment over a president's tenure, along with the percentage change.

Who would Mr. Trump need to beat? Bill Clinton and Lyndon Johnson.

Nearly 23 million more Americans were employed at the end of Mr. Clinton's tenure than the beginning, an unparalleled period of job creation in overall terms. (Mr. Trump says his economic plan will create 25 million jobs over the next decade. )

Total change in employment by presidency

25 million employed people

Clinton

+22.9m

20

Reagan

+16.1m

15

Obama

+11.3m

10

Truman

+8.7m

5

Bush II

+1.3m

0

-5

0

12

24

36

48

60

72

84

Months in office

Total change in employment by presidency

25 million employed people

Clinton

+22.9m

20

Reagan

+16.1m

15

Obama

+11.3m

10

Truman

+8.7m

5

Bush II

+1.3m

0

-5

0

12

24

36

48

60

72

84

Months in office

Total change in employment by presidency

25 million employed people

Clinton

+22.9m

20

Reagan

+16.1m

15

Obama

+11.3m

10

Truman

+8.7m

5

Bush II

+1.3m

0

-5

0

12

24

36

48

60

72

84

Months in office

Total change in employment by presidency

25 million employed people

Clinton

+22.9m

20

Reagan

+16.1m

15

Obama

+11.3m

10

Truman

+8.7m

5

Bush II

+1.3m

0

-5

0

12

24

36

48

60

72

84

Months in office

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ST. LOUIS


Under Mr. Johnson, total employment surged 21.3 per cent, the highest percentage gain seen under a post-war president.

Per cent change in employment by presidency

0

5

-5

25%

-10

10

15

20

1946

Truman

21.0%

Eisenhower

7.1%

1958

Kennedy

6.7%

Johnson

21.3%

1970

Nixon

13.2%

Ford

2.6%

Carter

12.8%

1982

Reagan

17.7%

Bush I

2.5%

1994

Clinton

20.9%

Bush II

1.0%

2006

Obama

8.4%

Per cent change in employment by presidency

25%

Johnson

21.3%

Clinton

20.9%

Truman

21.0%

20

Reagan

17.7%

Nixon

13.2%

Carter

12.8%

15

Eisenhower

7.1%

Obama

8.4%

10

5

0

Bush I

2.5%

Kennedy

6.7%

Bush II

1.0%

-5

Ford

2.6%

-10

1946

1958

1970

1982

1994

2006

Per cent change in employment by presidency

0

5

-5

25%

-10

10

15

20

1946

Truman

21.0%

Eisenhower

7.1%

1958

Kennedy

6.7%

Johnson

21.3%

1970

Nixon

13.2%

Ford

2.6%

Carter

12.8%

1982

Reagan

17.7%

Bush I

2.5%

1994

Clinton

20.9%

Bush II

1.0%

2006

Obama

8.4%

Per cent change in employment by presidency

25%

Johnson

21.3%

Clinton

20.9%

Truman

21.0%

20

Reagan

17.7%

Nixon

13.2%

Carter

12.8%

15

Eisenhower

7.1%

Obama

8.4%

10

5

0

Bush I

2.5%

Kennedy

6.7%

Bush II

1.0%

-5

Ford

2.6%

-10

1946

1958

1970

1982

1994

2006

THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ST. LOUIS


Mr. Trump will have his work cut out for him.

To best Mr. Johnson's gain, he'll need to put an additional 30.92-million Americans to work during his presidency, as calculated from the most recent reading of employment. As it stands, 7.5 million are unemployed. Millions of Americans will need to join the labour force, and he'll likely need a hefty dose of immigration – an uncertain outcome given his campaign comments – to have a puncher's chance of making good on his pledge.

Demographics are not on his side, either: the U.S. is aging and its labour force participation rate has been largely in retreat for decades.

To be clear, these figures do not account for job quality, and of course, presidents have a limited direct impact on hiring. But their policies go a long way in determining the country's economic direction – and ultimately, its hiring power.

Graphics by Tom Cardoso

Note: Data is seasonally adjusted. For each president, we used the employment figure for the month he assumed office as a base value and calculated the difference up to and including the month he left, even if those months were partly served. Data have yet to be released for Mr. Obama's final month in office.