WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), Ranking Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, said Friday that the September jobs report reflects a continuing recovery, but that Congress needs to do more to strengthen the U.S. economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 142,000 nonfarm jobs in September, while the unemployment rate held steady at 5.1 percent.
“September marked the 67th straight month of private-sector job gains – the longest growth streak on record and an accomplishment no matter which way you look at it,” Maloney said. “While the pace of job gains has slowed in the past three months, the economy has added nearly 200,000 jobs a month on average during the first nine months of the year.
“And wages have begun to move up in recent months. Hourly earnings have increased 2.2 percent over the past 12 months, which bodes well for those at the bottom of the economic ladder.
“I’m pleased that we were able to avert a government shutdown that some Republicans threatened and which would have slowed economic growth and increased uncertainty. But doing no harm is not good enough. Congress should take concrete steps to bolster the economy by passing a long-term highway bill and comprehensive immigration reform, renewing the charter of the Export-Import Bank and raising the minimum wage.”
View jobs report charts here
View jobs growth chart here
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