Congresswoman Barbara Lee Responds to New Employment Figures during Tour of Treasure Island Job Corps
For Immediate Release
Contact: Ricci Graham
510-763-0370
Lee calls for direct job creation and relief for long-term unemployed
Oakland - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), who today toured the Treasure Island Jobs Corp training facility, called for a greater commitment by Congress to fund efforts that will result in the direct creation of jobs and provide relief for the long-term unemployed.
Congresswoman Lee issued this call after the Jobs Report showed that the nation's unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent in January, down from 9.4 percent the month before.
"Today's monthly report by the Bureau of Labor speaks to the work being done to end this recession," Congresswoman Lee said. "However, there are still 13.9 million Americans unemployed across the nation.
"The report also shows that unemployment rates for certain groups - like women and African Americans - have seen very little improvement. In the face of the report, we must redouble our efforts to create jobs and ensure that people are trained and ready to fill those jobs successfully."
Congresswoman Lee, who met with students and staff at Treasure Island Job Corps in San Francisco prior to touring the job-training site, said she will join Congressman Robert C. Scott in introducing legislation next week that will provide an expansion of unemployment benefits for Americans who have exhausted their benefits.
"The bill that I am introducing with Congressman Scott, The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Expansion Act, would ensure that these long-term unemployed workers get the long overdue assistance that they need to support their families, make ends meet and contribute to our economy," said Congresswoman Lee. "Our bill would add 14 weeks of emergency unemployment benefits and would make sure these benefits are retroactively available to people who have exhausted all their benefits and are still unemployed."
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