FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 02, 2004

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider 202-226-7616

Pelosi Statement on New Jobs Numbers

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the new national job numbers, which showed that despite the fact that 308,000 new jobs were created in March, the unemployment rate increased to 5.7 percent:

"Today's announcement of 308,000 new jobs is welcome news. But the fact is that we are still experiencing a huge jobs deficit, with 2.6 million private sector jobs lost since President Bush took office.

"Even with today's good news, President Bush is still on track for the worst economic record since the Great Depression.

"Unemployment increased in March to 5.7 percent -- well above the level of 4.2 percent when President Bush took office. Workers' wages aren't keeping up with inflation, median household income is down, and we now have the largest federal deficit in history.

"America needs action now. Manufacturing employment is at a 53-year low -- an astonishing 2.8 million manufacturing jobs have been lost since the beginning of the Bush Administration. Yet the Republican leadership in the House refuses to schedule a vote on the bipartisan Crane-Rangel manufacturing bill, which would lower taxes for American manufacturers and keep good paying jobs in the United States.

"Republicans will not even allow a vote to extend unemployment benefits for 3 million Americans. And they refused to consider a Democratic highway proposal that would have created an additional 1.8 million jobs nationwide.

"Clearly, the Republicans' economic policies do not work, and they are unwilling to consider proposals that will. America is ready for a change."

“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi