WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today responded to the
latest unemployment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including
the increase loss in manufacturing 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. |