Reno, NV— Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement after the Labor Department reported that the economy added 203,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 7.0 percent, the lowest in five years. The figures for October were also revised up, showing a gain of 200,000 jobs:

“As our economy continues to gather steam, now is not the time for Washington to put on the breaks. Today’s news is good, but for many Americans still unemployed in Nevada and across the country, the actions we take in Congress could make the difference between getting a job, or not.

“We need to make job-creating investments and replace meat-ax cuts with smart savings that reduce the deficit by closing wasteful tax loopholes. We also need to raise the minimum wage, because too many Americans who are working full-time are still struggling to make ends meet. As we end this year, I ask Republicans to join us in showing the nation that Congress can produce results for the middle-class.”