WASHINGTON, DC— Joint Economic Committee Chairman-designate Dan Coats (R-Ind.) issued the following statement regarding today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that the U.S. economy added 295,000 nonfarm payroll jobs (288,000 in the private sector) during February: 

“I welcome these positive employment numbers and hope this progress indicates a strengthening economy. American workers need a growing economy and labor market with more opportunities to succeed. While these top-line numbers are strong, many other economic indicators, such as the percentage of Americans working or actively looking for work, are stagnant at best. Additionally, the share of the population that is employed and full-time employment are still below their peaks before the recession started.  We can and must find ways to further strengthen our economy through pro-growth policies such as reforming our broken tax code and expanding trade opportunities.”