October 02, 2003
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today expressed concern with the Department of Labor’s September national unemployment figures. Even though the figure included a slight increase overall, the report showed that manufacturing lost jobs for 37 consecutive months and the unemployment rate for African-Americans actually rose three-tenths of a percentage point.
Today’s September unemployment report showed an overall increase of 57,000 private-sector jobs, but even with this number, the Bush Administration has lost almost 3 million jobs since January 2001. More than halfway through his term, Bush has lost over 80,000 jobs per month.
The unemployment rate for the nation’s manufacturing sector was once again hard-hit. In September, the American economy actually lost 29,000 jobs. Overall, more than 2.5 million of the net loss of 3.2 million private-sector jobs since January 2001 have been in the manufacturing sector. Disturbingly, the unemployment rate for African Americans increased from 10.9% to 11.2%. That increase in the unemployment rate came as a result of the loss of 61,000 jobs for African Americans.
“Today’s figures, as the manufacturing and African American numbers indicate, shows that we are still in a jobs depression and for far too many it’s just getting worse,” said Lee. “We are still in the midst of the worst economy in a decade, and we need to get Americans back to work,” said Lee. “With hundreds of thousand of Americans still unemployed, if the President considers these numbers a recovery, then perhaps he should first talk to those unemployed workers struggling to find adequate housing and food for themselves and their families.”
Lee has supported an economic growth package that would have created 1 million jobs this year by providing infrastructure development to create good-paying jobs and strong communities, as well as providing relief for states; Congressional Republicans have not allowed a vote on the bill.
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee Disappointed With Loss of Manufacturing Jobs in September Unemployment Report
Unemployment Rate for African Americans Also Increases
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today expressed concern with the Department of Labor’s September national unemployment figures. Even though the figure included a slight increase overall, the report showed that manufacturing lost jobs for 37 consecutive months and the unemployment rate for African-Americans actually rose three-tenths of a percentage point.
Today’s September unemployment report showed an overall increase of 57,000 private-sector jobs, but even with this number, the Bush Administration has lost almost 3 million jobs since January 2001. More than halfway through his term, Bush has lost over 80,000 jobs per month.
The unemployment rate for the nation’s manufacturing sector was once again hard-hit. In September, the American economy actually lost 29,000 jobs. Overall, more than 2.5 million of the net loss of 3.2 million private-sector jobs since January 2001 have been in the manufacturing sector. Disturbingly, the unemployment rate for African Americans increased from 10.9% to 11.2%. That increase in the unemployment rate came as a result of the loss of 61,000 jobs for African Americans.
“Today’s figures, as the manufacturing and African American numbers indicate, shows that we are still in a jobs depression and for far too many it’s just getting worse,” said Lee. “We are still in the midst of the worst economy in a decade, and we need to get Americans back to work,” said Lee. “With hundreds of thousand of Americans still unemployed, if the President considers these numbers a recovery, then perhaps he should first talk to those unemployed workers struggling to find adequate housing and food for themselves and their families.”
Lee has supported an economic growth package that would have created 1 million jobs this year by providing infrastructure development to create good-paying jobs and strong communities, as well as providing relief for states; Congressional Republicans have not allowed a vote on the bill.
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