Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) released the following statement after the March unemployment rate was announced to be 8.8% - a two-year low.  The rate has now fallen a full percentage point over the last four months – the sharpest drop since 1983.

The March jobs report showed a total increase of 216,000 jobs, with job gains in the private sector, specifically professional and business services, health care, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and mining.   The public sector again lost jobs, reaching 416,000 shed jobs since September 2008.   The private sector actually gained 230,000 jobs in the last month, after factoring in the latest public sector losses.  The Labor Department also revised job gains for January and February. February's increase was revised up from 192,000 to 194,000 jobs added. January's was revised to 68,000 from 63,000.

“Unemployment continues to fall and our economy continues to move in the right direction.  This makes 13 consecutive months of jobs growth resulting in over 1.7 million private sector jobs added to the economy, the strongest private sector growth since 2006.  The unemployment rate still remains too high, especially for African-Americans, Hispanics and young Americans, but the progress is undeniable.

“However, instead of utilizing the resources of the federal government to help this recovery and get more people back to work, in the 13 weeks of the new Congress we have yet to even discuss a single jobs bill.  Instead, the Republican Majority has used this time to score political points and resurrect the old culture wars.  They continue to pursue an agenda which is tone deaf to the real needs of the American people – more jobs.

“After opposing every jobs bill introduced in 2010, no one should be shocked that they have ignored the unemployment problem since taking the majority.   They have yet to present the American people a credible plan, or any plan, to create jobs and help the economy.  In fact, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act would also kill many of the over 200,000 jobs recently created in the health care sector.    The House Republican cuts included in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, (HR 1) would result in 700,000 jobs lost nationwide, with about 46,000 of them in New York.  HR 1 would abolish more than 13,000 community health center jobs in New York, cut Pell Grants by more than $850 per student, cut 12,000 children off from Head Start and remove more than $160 million in job investment training for the jobs of the future.  Once again, this is not the leadership American wants or needs.

“The Majority has attacked working people and unions and put the blame of a bad economy on the backs of our teachers and public employees.  They have voted to take health care away from over 30 million Americans.  They have voted to cut funding to clean air, water and food protection.  Next week, Social Security benefits and Medicare coverage will be next on the chopping block as the Republicans unveil their FY 2012 budget.  I encourage my Republican colleagues to focus less on political posturing and listen to what the American people have been asking for – a focus on jobs.  Only together can we accomplish this, and Democrats are still waiting for the new Majority to show real leadership to do so.”

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