Chairman Miller Statement on January Jobs Report

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement on this morning’s January employment situation report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report shows that that the United States lost 17,000 jobs in January, the first decline in jobs in over four years.

“Today’s report shows that the nation’s economic pain is spreading from the housing market to the job market. It is awful news that, for the first time in over four years, the U.S. lost jobs last month. Our number one priority clearly must be to help Americans who are out of work and wondering how they will provide for their families.

“If there was any doubt about the need for an immediate stimulus package to provide an urgently-needed boost for the U.S. economy, this report eviscerates that doubt. Congress should and will act right away to help the economy and stop this job loss. This report also shows the need for us to extend unemployment benefits for workers. It’s critical that we enact a stimulus package as quickly as possible, but it is also critical that we provide extended benefits to workers who are laid off and having a hard time finding a new job.

“Workers who are still struggling to recover from the last recession will need help to weather the downturn we have clearly now entered. An economic stimulus package is an important first step to get our economy back on the right track, but additional measures will be needed to help workers and their families.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Kiley / Rachel Racusen
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