SCHAKOWSKY TO PRESIDENT BUSH: WHERE ARE THE JOBS?

"President Bush has the worst job creation record since the Great Depression and his Administration has gone 32 months without creating a single new net private sector job - the longest job slump since Herbert Hoover. Nine million Americans are without work, and since President Bush took office, three million private sector jobs have been lost," Schakowsky said.

She continued, "President Bush's economic plan is a failure. Millions of workers are still without jobs, and while an increase of 57,000 jobs in November is a piece of good news, the total picture is still bleak, falling far short of projected job growth.

"President Bush promised 306,000 new jobs a month as a result of his latest round of tax cuts. He has not delivered on that promise. President Bush can't even deliver 150,000 jobs a month, the level needed each month just to keep up with the workers entering the job market," Schakowsky added.

"The economic recovery that President Bush is touting around the country is helping Wall Street and leaving behind millions of Americans living on Main Street. Sooner rather than later, he will have to answer the question: Where are the jobs?" Schakowsky concluded.

The new data also showed that job loss continued during the month of November in the manufacturing sector. According to today's data, in November, the economy lost an additional 17,000 manufacturing jobs. Indeed, overall, the country has lost manufacturing jobs every month since Bush took office for a total loss of 2.6 million manufacturing jobs since January 2001.

"If the President wants the kind of economic growth that actually helps working families, he should urge the Republican leadership to extend unemployment insurance benefits before Congress adjourns on Monday," said Schakowsky, adding that extending unemployment benefits would create economic growth - pumping $1.73 into the economy for every $1 spent on unemployment insurance.