Washington, DC--Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) issued the following statement regarding today’s announcement that almost 300,000 jobs were added in April, the most in four years. The jobless rate ticked up slightly to 9.9 percent, as over 800,000 jobseekers plunged back into the job market as confidence in the economy continued to increase. There was an increase in March of 230,000 jobs. In January 2009, the economy lost over 750,000 jobs in the final days of the Bush Administration.

“The good news is that private employers added 231,000 jobs last month, with another 66,000 temporary census workers helping our economic growth. America’s long-term recovery is only possible if private enterprise – especially small business – hires people. To see these jobs created, and to see so many people motivated to return to their job search, is very encouraging and gives great hope to our recovery.

“But we cannot reverse two years of recession overnight, nor can we turn the tide on a decade of declining middle class economic security. There is still a lot of work to be done to help the nearly eight million people who lost work during this economic crisis return to payrolls.

“Congress and President Obama will continue to find ways to help those out of work, and to assist businesses in creating more jobs in the coming months. President Obama recently signed a jobs bill to provide incentives for small businesses to hire the unemployed. Yesterday, the House passed the Home Star Jobs Bill to create manufacturing and construction jobs through energy efficiency home rebates. Of course, the recovery began thanks to the Recovery Act’s ability to plug the holes in the dam and prevent a full-scale depression.

“Prolonged unemployment is devastating to families. It adds stress to parents providing for their children. It causes a drain on other aspects of the economy – retail sales, home purchases, etc. Putting people back to work is the top priority for Congress and President Obama, and we will not be satisfied until the economy returns to a state of long-term growth and job creation.”

Attached is a chart reflecting the amount of jobs lost and gained from January 2008 to the present. The red graphics reflect the last year of the Bush Administration and the blue graphics reflect the beginning of the Obama Administration.