WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today issued the following statement on the increase in the unemployment rate to 6.1%, the highest it has been in five years:

“Today’s data is cause for renewed concern about the state of our economy.  More and more Americans are losing their jobs while the costs of fuel, food, and other everyday necessities continue to rise.  Congress put forth a significant effort to strengthen our economy with a stimulus package and comprehensive housing legislation passed earlier this year.  But more must be done to help Americans who are struggling to make ends meet.  Our nation needs a new, robust economic policy, including extending unemployment insurance benefits; increasing funding for worker training programs; providing tax relief for working families; and investing in our nation’s infrastructure, which will create thousands of new jobs and grow our economy.  In the coming months, the Banking Committee will remain focused on ways to provide long-term financial security and opportunity for all Americans.”

 

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