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Nearly every day, I hear from far too many Delawareans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Despite a slow economic recovery, too many Delawareans and too many Americans continue to struggle to find work. When President Obama took office in 2009, we were in the midst of the so-called "Great Recession." The U.S. economy was shedding jobs at a rate of over 600,000 per month, and many experts thought we were headed for a second Great Depression. Recently, we learned that the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was almost 25% worse during this period than initial estimates had shown, confirming that this was in fact the most painful economic downturn for our country since the Great Depression. Since then, we’ve pulled our economy back from the cliff; but with nearly 14 million Americans still searching for work, there is much more to be done.

Here are a few priorities I believe Congress and the Administration need to focus on as we work to encourage a nurturing environment for job creation and preservation:

1. We need to rebuild our manufacturing sector by bringing jobs back from overseas and encouraging businesses to create new jobs here at home.
2. We need to reform our education system to prepare the next generation to compete and win in an increasingly global economy.
3. We need to invest in clean energy to jumpstart a new sector of our economy and end the daily drain of American money paying countries that don't like us very much for foreign oil.
4. We need to repair our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, which will create thousands, if not millions, of jobs building 21st Century American roads, bridges, and railways.

Of course the government cannot create this economic recovery alone. I believe that the public sector can be most effective by strategically partnering with the private sector to foster innovation and spur job creation. With the right combination of incentives, investments and support, this country can lead the world in developing new technologies and services – spurring economic prosperity and job growth not just today or tomorrow but for years to come.

President Obama recently unveiled his plan to get Americans back to work - the American Jobs Act. This legislation would help put Americans back to work through a combination of personal and business tax cuts, targeted investments in infrastructure, and assistance to states which would help businesses large and small create jobs and rebuild our economy. I urge my colleagues in Congress, from both parties, to support the American Jobs Act. You can read my full statement on the President's plan here: "Sen. Carper Reacts to President Obama's American Jobs Act Address;" and here: "Sen. Carper Votes for President Obama's American Jobs Act."