Instagram icon

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Representing the 13th District of California

Economy and Jobs

For more information on Congresswoman Lee's positions, please contact the office

More on Economy and Jobs

Dec 5, 2014 Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement upon the release of the Department of Labor’s November Jobs Report. The report announced an additional 321,000 jobs were created yet the unemployment rate held at 5.8 percent, the lowest unemployment rate since July 2008.  November marks the 58th consecutive month of private sector job growth as businesses added 314,000 jobs.

“I am pleased to see continued private sector job gains that build on the longest uninterrupted period of private sector job growth.

Dec 4, 2014 Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with Progressive Caucus members Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released the following statements in support of workers striking today across the country for a living wage and collective bargaining rights.

Nov 7, 2014 Press Release

Oakland, CA – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement today after the Department of Labor announced that the economy added 214,000 jobs and the national unemployment rate dropped to 5.8 percent.  The report shows that businesses added 209,000 jobs, making October 2014 the 56th consecutive month of private sector job growth.

“I am pleased to see continued private sector job growth for the 56th consecutive month and a drop in the national unemployment rate.

Oct 9, 2014 Press Release

San Leandro, CA – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee welcomed Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to the GATE in San Leandro.

Oct 9, 2014 In The News

House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer joined Rep. Barbara Lee on Thursday for a tour of San Leandro’s “The GATE,” an 18-acre building serving as a hub for manufacturers, techies and artists.

Hoyer, D-Md., and Lee, D-Oakland, were there to highlight Democrats’ “Make it in America” initiative, aimed at nurturing U.S. manufacturers to succeed, grow and create jobs. At the GATE, they toured Type A Machines, which makes 3D printers; Phase Space, which deals in motion-tracking technology; and the Hive art collective.

Sep 24, 2014 Press Release

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee announced $3.375 million in awards from the US Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.  Attorney General Holder will formally announce the grants on Monday.

Oakland, San Leandro and Alameda County will each receive grants to create and preserve law enforcement officers to increase community policing capacity.

Sep 19, 2014 Press Release

Oakland, CA – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement in response to Speaker Boehner’s remarks at the American Enterprise Institute: “This idea that has been born, maybe out of the economy over the last couple years, that you know, I really don't have to work. I don't really want to do this. I think I'd rather just sit around. This is a very sick idea for our country."

Sep 18, 2014 In The News

(Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner on Thursday expressed his dissatisfaction with a chronically high jobless rate and complained of a "very sick idea" that the unemployed would "rather just sit around."

The top House Republican said there were a "record number of Americans stuck" and that government had an "obligation to help provide tools for them to use to bring them into the mainstream of American society."

The U.S. unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in August, down from 10 percent in October 2009.

Sep 16, 2014 Press Release

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Mike Honda introduced the INVEST (Incentives for our Nation’s Veterans in Energy Sustainability Technologies) Act. The legislation would provide a tax credit to renewable energy sector companies that hire veterans.

Sep 5, 2014 Press Release

Oakland, CA – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement today after the Department of Labor announced that the economy added 142,000 jobs and the unemployment rate dropped to 6.1 percent.  With businesses adding 134,000 jobs, this marks the 54th consecutive month of private sector job growth.

“I am pleased to see further private sector job growth for the 54th consecutive month, and a drop in unemployment. Over the last year, our economy has added 1.3 million American jobs but more work remains.