Press Release

Statement by Secretary Gutierrez on June’s Employment Report

BOULDER, COLO.—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today released the following statement on the June Employment Report, which showed that the unemployment rate remained unchanged from last month at 5.5 percent:

“Today’s employment report is not welcome news – we are disappointed anytime jobs are lost. Our economy is still growing in the face of challenges, although slower than we would like. The economic stimulus plan proposed by the President and passed with bipartisan support in Congress is starting to have an impact and came at the right time. We expect the stimulus to help the economy as the year progresses.

“There are three things we need to do in the short and medium term. To help families and small businesses plan for the future, Congress must make the historic tax cuts permanent. Congress also needs to pass the pending free trade agreements so that our exporters have fair access to foreign markets. And as Americans face rising prices at the gas pumps, Congress should allow for more environmentally-responsible oil exploration here at home to expand production.”

Secretary Gutierrez is traveling in Colorado. He was in Aspen where he spoke about U.S. and Latin American relations and workforce preparedness at the Aspen Ideas Festival.