Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman
Carolyn B. Maloney, Chair of the U.S.
Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released the following statement
on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' July jobs report showing that the
unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.5 percent and 131,000 total nonfarm
jobs were lost:
“The July job numbers show that the labor market continues to recover, though not as quickly as we would like. The expected loss in temporary Census jobs more than offset the addition of 71,000 private sector jobs.
“It’s really a half-full, half-empty report. I’m pleased that the manufacturing sector, a key source of good-paying jobs, added jobs for the seventh month in a row, the longest stretch of growth since 1998. But, too many Americans are hurting and we need to do more to get them back to work.
“As July’s employment report highlights, the recovery is fragile and the pace of growth modest. While business investment is picking up, consumers continue to face challenges and remain cautious.
“With the unemployment rate at 9.5 percent, and the median duration of unemployment having almost tripled since the beginning of the recession to 22.2 weeks, it’s no wonder consumers are reluctant to spend. We need stronger growth and more job creation. And we need additional actions from Congress. Moving forward on the Small Business Lending Fund is an action Congress should take to fuel the recovery.
“I look forward to voting next week for the state aid package just passed by the Senate that will prevent the layoffs of tens of thousands of teachers and help cash-strapped states provide vital health care services. I’m frustrated that it’s taken months to move this legislation through the Senate, but I’m pleased that the House is prepared to act quickly to get this bill over to the President for his signature.”
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The Joint
Economic Committee, established under the Employment Act of 1946, was created
by Congress to review economic conditions and to analyze the effectiveness of
economic policy.
www.jec.senate.gov
