Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, today cited the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report showing that 203,000 nonfarm payroll jobs and 196,000 private payroll jobs were added in November as further evidence that the economy has a long way to grow until private sector jobs and total employment reach their pre-recession levels. “More than four years into the Obama recovery, Main Street continues to suffer,” Brady said.

“Americans are coming to realize the direct connection between anemic growth and the economic policies that President Obama continues to pursue. In the fifth year of President Obama’s tenure, we still have 760,000 fewer private payroll jobs than when the recession began. This year labor force participation hit its lowest level since March 1978. And the unemployment rate remains at or above 7%.”

“While I’m glad to see that more Americans were working last month, too many families continue to struggle. Today’s report that is being hailed as exceptionally strong by the Administration is about 80,000 jobs short of the average monthly gain in other recoveries since 1960,” Brady noted.

Brady called upon the President to join Republicans to put the right economic policies in place, including pro-growth tax reform, regulatory relief, and entitlement reform. “That is how to ignite a vigorous recovery that all Americans can feel,” Brady said. “The end of the calendar year is an opportunity to ‘turn the page.’ If the President will work with Congress, he would find many willing Republican partners.”