Schakowsky Statement on September Jobs Report
CHICAGO –Today, the Department of Labor announced that 248,000 jobs were added and the national unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in September. Rep. Jan Schakowsky issued the following statement in response:
Today’s jobs report marks significant progress in our economic recovery. 248,000 jobs were added, bringing the total jobs added this year above 2 million. For the first time since the Great Recession began in 2008, our national unemployment rate fell below 6 percent. September was also the 55th straight month of private sector job growth.
President Barack Obama acted boldly to respond to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. With the help of a Democratic Congress, he enacted a stimulus program that prevented the economy from collapsing, strengthened regulations and oversight of Wall Street, and took other steps that helped us return to steady job growth.
Despite that progress, much work remains. September employment figures show that hourly incomes did not rise last month, and our employment participation rate is still near 40-year lows. Too many people are still unable to find jobs, and for many wages are stagnant or even falling. We also need to extend long-term employment, something I have been a strong advocate for since House Republicans allowed it to lapse in December 2013.
I am a strong supporter of H.R. 1010, which would increase the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour nationwide – raising incomes for 28 million Americans in total. I have also introduced H.R. 5372, which would provide new tax incentives to patriotic employers that add American jobs, pay good wages, and provide health and retirement benefits. Those bills have not been considered on the House floor. I have consistently advocated to Speaker Boehner and Republican House leadership to bring those – and other – job growth bills up for a vote, and I will continue to do so moving forward.
Our economy is undoubtedly moving in the right direction, but we still have a ways to go. I will continue to do all that I can to raise the wages of minimum wage workers, expand the middle class and grow our economy.
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