Dreier Statement on April Jobs Numbers

May 7, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman David Dreier (R-CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, issued the following statement today in reaction to the jobs numbers released for April, 2004:

"Another 288,000 payroll jobs in April is terrific news. But even as the Payroll Survey numbers keep going up, I continue to believe it's not telling us the whole story. The Payroll Survey misses many of the Americans working in the new 21st Century Economy, like the 438,000 individuals making their living on eBay. But we know that these entrepreneurs are out there in record numbers. The Household Survey accounts for them by counting independent contractors, self-employed workers, and small business start ups -- the fastest growing sectors of our labor force.

"The way we measure employment in this country is outdated if it does not reflect an economy that is giving Americans a growing amount of flexibility to work independently. While 288,000 is a strong job creation number, it doesn't give us the whole picture. Our 21st Century Economy needs 21st Century statistics."