April Sees Lower Unemployment, Still Not Enough

April 2015 marked  62 months of economic growth, adding private sector jobs across the nation. Congressman Steny Hoyer praised the continued economic recovery, but said more needs to be done to build middle class jobs for Americans.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics report on the April numbers found an additional 213,000 jobs were created, bringing the unemployment rate down to 5.4 percent, the lowest since May 2008.

Job growth is among a number of positive indicators of economic improvement. However, “many Americans have yet to feel the effects of the recovery in their own lives,” Congressman Hoyer said about the labor statistics. “Congress has a responsibility to change that,” he said.

Congressman Hoyer called upon Republicans to work with Democrats and “pass the bill to raise the minimum wage, take action to ensure equal pay for equal work, and give businesses certainty by reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank.”

Calling for these bills “to promote the growth of jobs and opportunities so that more of our people can find work that pays well and access opportunities that help them secure a place in our middle class,” Congressman Hoyer criticized the budget bill that was passed by Republicans in the House and the Senate.

The Republican bill, he said, “guts investment in domestic priorities like job training, research, infrastructure, education, and innovation.  This kind of disinvestment in America’s future will harm our economic competitiveness and disadvantage the next generation of job seekers.

“I have no doubt that Republicans will soon realize once again that their sequester strategy is impossible to implement.  When they do,  I hope they will instead work across the aisle with Democrats in order to make the long-term investments necessary to lay the groundwork for a strong and competitive economy.”