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HOYER: WITH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED, BUSH ADMINISTRATION FAILS TO OFFER SOLUTIONS

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement this morning after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced new unemployment figures for the month of August:

“It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if the Bush Administration tried to claim that the drop in the unemployment rate – from 6.2 percent in July to 6.1 percent in August – somehow demonstrated that things are looking up for American workers.  Happy talk and smoke and mirrors masquerade as economic policy for this Administration.  After all, this Administration seems to believe that creating one job for an assistant secretary of manufacturing at the Commerce Department will help shorten the growing unemployment lines in our nation.

“But the fact is, the Labor Department itself said today that the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged from July and it noted that manufacturing unemployment fell by 44,000 in August.  Manufacturing has lost an unbelievable 2.4 million jobs since the recession began.

“Just under 9 million Americans are jobless today.  The unemployment rate is near a decade high.  And President Bush has the worst record of job creation since Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression. 

“But perhaps equally if not more discouraging is the fact that the Administration has failed to offer a realistic, pro-active plan to create jobs for Americans who are desperately looking for work.  Jobless Americans who are struggling to make ends meet want to know that their President has a plan to get them back to work.  But this President does not.

“Congressional Democrats offered a pro-growth economic plan in January that would have created 1 million new jobs this year alone.  We again urge the Bush Administration and our Republican colleagues to join us in crafting a plan that jumpstarts our economy and assures that every American who wants to work can find a job.”

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