U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), held a hearing on the newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly employment figures with BLS Commissioner Keith Hall.  The hearing, entitled “The Employment Situation in January 2008” addressed the new jobs report and previously weak jobs reports in light of a potential recession.  The hearing also addressed chronically-low job creation during the current administration and examined revisions to payroll figures for the past several years made that morning.  With a recession looming and the unemployment rolls growing, Dr. Hall provided insight on labor market trends and conditions in a deteriorating economy.