WASHINGTON – Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), Ranking Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released the following statement Friday following the Department of Labor’s announcement that the economy added 158,000 private-sector jobs in January and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.9 percent. This was the 71st consecutive month of private-sector job growth, the longest streak on record.
“The pace of job creation in January and the slight dip in the unemployment rate are welcome news given the turbulence of the global economy and the financial markets.
“Inflation remains low, wages are starting to pick up and gasoline is relatively cheap. But still-struggling American families could use some help from Congress, which has done so little to reinforce the economic gains we have made since the depths of the Great Recession.
“Congress should raise the minimum wage, expand fairness in the workplace through policies such as paid leave and reduce the cost of a college education. A sustained focus on the middle class and those working to reach the middle class is needed to ensure that our economy works for all Americans.”
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