Washington, D.C.— Today, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chairman of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that nonfarm payroll employment increased by 12,000 in October and the unemployment rate remained at 4.1%. The unemployment rate was 5.7% for Black workers, 5.1% for Hispanic workers, 3.8% for white workers, 3.9% for Asian workers, and 7.2% (not seasonally adjusted) for American Indian and Alaska Native workers.

“Our nation is still recovering from the devastating impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Small business owners have lost their livelihoods, and many residents are out of work due to the storm. Today's jobs report is a function of climate-caused extreme weather events, not our economic strength.

“While some Republicans still claim climate change is a hoax, Democrats are committed to tackling climate change and creating jobs along the way. Let’s keep pushing forward.”   

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