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 this year will be no higher 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?

• AThe first provides evidence in support of the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a claim that argument challenges.  
• BThe 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.  
• CThe 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.  
• DThe 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.  
• EThe 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.