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OPA News Release: [04/05/2002]
Contact Name: Sue
Hensley
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Statement on Unemployment
Numbers for March 2002
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao issued the
following statement on the increase in the unemployment rate from 5.5 percent
in February 2002 to 5.7 percent in March 2002:
“The March unemployment rate of 5.7 percent shows that the
employment situation has remained about the same over the past few months. The
best news in today’s report is that manufacturing work hours and jobs in
the help supply industry are going up. These leading indicators are good signs
of recovery.
“However, I think we are still in a transition period. Clearly, the
economy is recovering faster than anyone expected. But, in the past, real job
growth has always lagged behind economic growth. That’s why President Bush
has just sent up a request for an additional $750 million to help dislocated
workers.
“It is critical that we help move American workers affected by the
economic slowdown back into good paying jobs.”
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