Main Street

Working America Statement on November Jobs Report

Any time our economy adds jobs, it’s a good thing, and the decline in the unemployment rate is a step in the right direction. But we’re still not adding jobs at the rate we need to recover from the devastating recession, and our elected officials need to focus all of their energy on putting America back to work.  Our 3 million Working America members are paying attention to what goes on in Congress and in state legislatures.  At our conversations at the doors every night, we still hear that job creation is the number one issue for our members and their families.

Despite the addition of 120,000 net jobs, thousands of people are discouraged from entering the work force. A minority in the Senate has repeatedly blocked bills that would inject much-needed money into our economy and put hundreds of thousands of people back to work—all in the name of protecting historically low tax rates for the very wealthy. At the same time, in less than a month, unemployment insurance is set to expire for millions of jobless workers.

At the state level, the picture looks similarly bleak for working families.  Short-sighted budget cuts have put thousands of public servants like teachers, nurses and firefighters out of work, depriving our communities of much-needed services. That needs to change.

Working America members have a message for their elected officials: end the delays and immediately pass extensions of job-creating tax relief and unemployment insurance for the millions without jobs. Today’s job numbers are positive, but they show how far we have to go to get our economy working again for everyone.

Tags: Jobs, jobs report, statement, unemployment