EVANS STATMENT ON TODAY'S EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS: "THE AMERICAN ECONOMY IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BUT MORE WORK
NEEDS TO BE DONE"

WASHINGTON, DC – Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans commented on July's employment report: “There are positive signs that job growth is moving in the right direction, but the Bush Administration is not satisfied with today's results and is focused on the work that needs to be done. The unemployment rate has fallen to 5.5 percent and continues to be lower than the average of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. In addition, the July Household employment survey saw jobs soar with 629,000 more people finding work. At the same time, there is positive employment momentum within the manufacturing sector. In the past 11 months, more than 1.5 million Americans have found new and better jobs.

“However, we believe that we must continue to push ahead on a job growth agenda that meets the needs of the American people. To grow more jobs, we need to control health care costs for Americans and stop endless regulations that strangle our nation's employers. We must end lawsuit abuse in America and implement a reasonable energy policy that makes us less dependent on foreign sources of energy.”