FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 17, 2011
CONTACT OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
202-482-4883

Blank discussed the American Jobs Act and its benefits for New Jersey

Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank joined Newark Mayor Cory Booker today for a visit to the Newark One-Stop Career Center, a city program that connects residents to career opportunities, provides vocational training and offers continuing education services that aim to meet the needs of both employers and job seekers.  The program is operated by the Newark Mayor’s Office of Employment and Training.

At the One-Stop Career Center, Blank discussed details of President Obama’s American Jobs Act.  Blank highlighted the different ways the plan would make an immediate impact on job creation: cutting taxes for small businesses, putting more money in the pockets of consumers through an expanded payroll tax cut, and preventing the layoffs of teachers, firefighters and policemen, while putting construction workers to work through much-needed renovations to school, roads, rail and airports renovations. Blank underlined the need for Congress to act quickly on the bipartisan measures in the Jobs Act.

“Outside experts say the American Jobs Act would put nearly two million people to work, while putting more money in the pockets of workers and repairing infrastructure vital to enhancing America’s competitiveness,” Blank said. “It’s time for Democrats and Republicans in Congress to come together and swiftly pass the measures in the Jobs Act, which will put people back to work right away and put more money in the pockets of American families.”

The American Jobs Act would:

• Slash the payroll tax in half for 98 percent of businesses, benefitting 200,000 New Jersey companies;
• Invest in modernization of highways, transit, railways and aviation infrastructure, immediately supporting 17,200 jobs in New Jersey;
• Allow localities to avoid laying off teachers, firefighters and cops – 9,300 in New Jersey alone;
• Modernize at least 35,000 public schools, supporting renovations across the country and as many as 6,700 jobs in New Jersey;
• Put the long-term unemployed – a group that totals 216,000 in New Jersey – back to work by making the most innovative reforms to unemployment insurance in 40 years;
• Extend unemployment insurance, preventing five million Americans, including 104,300 in New Jersey, from losing their benefits; and,
• Cut payroll taxes in half for 160 million workers next year, giving the typical New Jersey family a $2,020 tax cut.