Klobuchar Holds Joint Economic Committee Hearing Focusing on Bipartisan Solutions to Reduce Long-Term Unemployment
Klobuchar stressed the need for common-sense policies that help more Americans get back to work by investing in skills training and encouraging stronger partnerships between businesses and educational institutions
Klobuchar also released a new report today examining long-term unemployment in the U.S., finding that while the overall job market has improved, significant challenges remain for the long-term unemployed
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Vice Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), today held a hearing focusing on bipartisan solutions for reducing long-term unemployment. Klobuchar emphasized the role of skills training and continuing education in helping unemployed Americans find jobs and called for bipartisan policies to move these efforts forward. Klobuchar also released a Democratic staff report today outlining the continuing challenge of long-term unemployment and highlighting the need to take action.
“While the overall job market has improved, the persistent challenge of long-term unemployment underscores the need for bipartisan policies to help people get back on their feet,” Klobuchar said. “From making sure our workers have the skills they need to compete in the 21st-century economy to fostering partnerships between schools and local businesses, I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help Americans get back to work.”
According to the report Vice Chair Klobuchar released today, over the last six months private sector employers have added more than 1.2 million jobs and the national unemployment rate is now at its lowest point since 2008. But while the economic landscape has improved for most Americans, challenges remain for nearly five million workers who make up the long-term unemployed.
The report found that long-term unemployment is disproportionately affecting workers at the times in their life when they are most in need of stable employment. Younger workers who are just beginning their careers and often have student loans to pay off are experiencing the highest rates of long-term unemployment. Meanwhile, although the unemployment rate for older workers is low, those who do become unemployed are less likely to find new jobs quickly. For workers of all ages, the report finds that the longer a person is unemployed, the less likely they are to find a job as skills atrophy and networks dry up.
Klobuchar has long championed workforce development and skills training initiatives as important tools for helping unemployed workers get back on the job. She has worked on policies that would give states greater incentives for evaluating current and future workforce needs, as well as legislation designed to encourage partnerships between employers and their local community colleges. In her role as Vice Chair of the JEC, Klobuchar is focused on strengthening the economy by promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and exports.
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