U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Representative Carolyn Maloney, Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) respectively, held a hearing on the newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly employment figures with Deputy Commissioner Philip L. Rones on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 9:30 am in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 562.  The hearing, entitled “The Employment Situation: May 2008” addressed the new jobs report released that morning.  The first panel examined the change in national unemployment rates and non-farm payroll employment figures over the past month.  The hearing’s second panel's focus was on how industries dominated by women are likely to be impacted as the downturn evolves and the economic stress that this will put on families, especially if budget shortfalls lead to service cutbacks and job losses in state and local government. As families struggle economically with less while trying to work more, policies that alleviate the squeeze that they face trying to balance work and family will become more important to implement.

Video of Senator Schumer's Opening Statement