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Remarks Prepared for Delivery by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
92nd Session of the International
Labor Conference
Palais des Nations
Geneva, Switzerland
Thursday, June 9, 2005
I would like to congratulate Bassem Salem, Minister of Labor of Jordan,
on his election as the President of the Conference. The United States
Department of Labor and Jordan's Ministry of Labor have worked together on
many programs and issues over the past few years and we look forward to continuing
this strong relationship.
President George W. Bush has placed job creation and economic growth at
the very heart of his national economic agenda.
The United States believes that the best way to create jobs is to encourage
the conditions that foster growth, encourage innovation and help workers
invest in new job skills. As a result of these and other policies, the United
States has one of the highest growth rates of the major industrialized nations—over
4 percent in 2004. Our unemployment rate is 5.1 percent, which is lower than
our average in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. And our economy has created 3.5
million new jobs since May 2003.
As new jobs are created, President Bush recognizes that workforce investment
is critical to maintaining a high standard of living for American workers.
The fast pace of technological change today requires workers to continually
upgrade their skills. So, the United States has launched, through the Department
of Labor, a High Growth Job Training Initiative. This program identifies
the emerging growth sectors of our economy and helps workers get the training
they need to take advantage of these opportunities.
Nowhere is the need for high-quality training more important than it is
for young people. The United States is encouraged to see that the ILO is
discussing youth employment. And we are eager to
share information about our experiences in this important field.
Another challenge we all face, is forced labor which is severe and worldwide
in scope. No country is immune. It is a sad fact that human traffickers are
luring unemployed or underemployed people to countries such as the United
States. Their victims arrive to find themselves confined against their will.
Often, they are forced to work in brutal and inhumane conditions. Some must
endure physical and sexual abuse. And many others are exploited as bonded
laborers.
President George W. Bush has made the battle against trafficking in persons
one of his highest priorities. The U.S. government has developed and is deploying
a wide range of resources to identify and prosecute traffickers, and rescue
and rehabilitate their victims. And the United States has put sex traffickers
on notice that we will not only prosecute them, but we will prosecute American
citizens who take advantage of their services by going abroad to commit crimes
against children. President Bush has underscored his commitment to fight
trafficking with a pledge of $50 million to support the work of anti-trafficking
organizations worldwide.
Today, the nations of the world face many challenges as the barriers of
time and distance are conquered by technology. By working together to foster
growth, opportunity and freedom we can ensure that all of
the world's workers, especially those most at risk, have a chance to reach
their full potential and build better lives for themselves and their families.
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